Andrew, 17, is used to having his way and treating others poorly when things don’t go his way. However, his father decides it’s time for Andrew to learn a lesson in respect after witnessing his son mistreat a flight attendant.
“Will he be all right?”
Steven looked down at his wife as they watched their teenage son head toward the boarding gate.
“Andrew will be just fine,” he reassured her.
“I hope this new school teaches him humility,” she said.
“But what if he’s bullied in the dorms?” she worried aloud.
“That’s exactly the point,” Steven replied, his jaw tight. “Andrew’s gotten too spoiled, and it’s time he learned some tough lessons.”
Months later, Andrew was flying home for the holidays after enduring his first semester at boarding school. He had hated every minute and was eager to return to his state-of-the-art computer and the luxury car he got for his sixteenth birthday.
“Hey, you,” Andrew called to the red-haired, freckled flight attendant.
“How can I assist you, sir?” she said with a smile.
“Bring me something better than these peanuts,” Andrew demanded, tossing the bag of peanuts at her.
The flight attendant’s smile faded. “Please don’t throw things at me, sir.”
“I’ll do whatever I want,” Andrew sneered. “Your job is to serve me, so quit whining and get to work.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” the older man seated next to Andrew said. “Just because she’s serving passengers doesn’t mean you can be rude to her.”
Andrew rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. “I’m still waiting for my snack.”
The flight attendant walked away with a downcast expression while the older man shook his head.
“Your parents must be so disappointed in you,” he muttered.
“Mind your own business, old man,” Andrew snapped, browsing the in-flight movies.
A few minutes later, the flight attendant returned with a pretzel.
“Here you go, sir,” she said, offering the pretzel. “If there’s anything else—”
Andrew slapped it out of her hand. “I don’t want pretzels!”
Tears welled in the flight attendant’s eyes. “We only serve peanuts and pretzels on this flight.”
“That’s pathetic—just like you,” Andrew scoffed. “Now go get me a real snack.”
“How dare you talk to her that way?” a woman across the aisle said, placing a comforting hand on the flight attendant’s shoulder.
“She’s just bad at her job,” Andrew said dismissively.
The flight attendant began crying, and the woman tried to console her.
“Someone should teach you a lesson, young man,” the elderly man beside Andrew said sternly.
“I agree,” came a voice as a firm hand settled on Andrew’s shoulder.
Andrew froze. He recognized the voice—his father’s. Shocked, he turned to see Steven’s face, red with anger.
“What are you doing here, Dad?” Andrew stammered.
“I was flying home from a business trip. I thought I might run into you, but I never expected this.” Steven’s voice was low and furious. “Apologize to this young lady and to the other passengers. Now.”
Andrew, shaken, mumbled an apology. He didn’t fully understand why, but he knew better than to defy his furious father.
When they got home, Steven took Andrew to his second-floor office and closed the door.
“This stops now,” Steven said, pointing at his son. “Your behavior is disgraceful. I thought boarding school would teach you respect, but clearly, it didn’t.”
“Why’s this such a big deal?” Andrew protested. “She’s just a flight attendant. It’s not like she matters.”
“That’s your problem,” Steven said sharply. “You think you’re better than others just because of our wealth. That ends today.”
“What do you mean?” Andrew asked, wide-eyed.
“You’re not going back to boarding school,” Steven declared. “You’re finishing high school at a public school, and you’ll work during your vacations.”
“Work? You mean at your company?” Andrew asked hopefully.
Steven smirked. “Sort of. You’ll be working as a janitor at my cleaning company.”
Andrew was horrified.
“I won’t do it!”
“Yes, you will,” Steven said, crossing his arms. “I’m cutting you off. No credit cards, no car, no computer, no fancy clothes. You’ll learn the value of respect.”
The next day, Andrew found himself working as an airport janitor. He struggled with the tasks, and an older coworker mocked his clumsiness. When he tried to stand up for himself, she pointed her finger at him.
“Your father warned me about you. Get to work—the floors won’t clean themselves.”
While sweeping, Andrew was suddenly hit by an empty takeaway box.
“Hey!” he yelled at the man who threw it. “You can’t do that!”
The man ignored him, so Andrew chased him down and grabbed his arm.
“I’m talking to you,” Andrew said.
The man shoved him hard. “Get your dirty hands off me, janitor.”
As Andrew fell and the man walked away, he felt humiliated. He looked around as a woman sneered and kicked him.
“Out of the way, lazy bum,” she said. “I’ll report you for sleeping on the job.”
At that moment, Andrew finally understood what his father had been trying to teach him. He realized how terrible it felt to be treated badly by others.
When he noticed a flash of red hair, Andrew spotted the flight attendant he had insulted.
“I’m so sorry,” he said as he approached her. “I treated you terribly, and I regret it.”
Surprised, the flight attendant smiled softly.
“I’m glad you’ve learned your lesson,” she said.