Elderly Man Always Bought Two Movie Tickets for Himself, So One Day I Decided to Find Out Why
Every Friday evening, without fail, Mr. Thompson would walk into the small neighborhood theater and buy two tickets for the same movie. He never had a companion, nor did he ever give the second ticket away. He would simply tuck it into his coat pocket and enter the theater alone.
As an employee at the ticket counter, I had seen him do this for years. I had always been curious, but I never dared to ask—until one evening when curiosity got the better of me.
“Mr. Thompson,” I said hesitantly as I handed him his two tickets. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you always buy two tickets?”
He smiled gently, the kind of smile that held a lifetime of memories. “Ah,” he said, looking down at the tickets in his wrinkled hands. “It’s a habit I started a long time ago.”
He hesitated for a moment, then continued. “My wife, Margaret, loved the movies. It was our weekly tradition to come here every Friday night, no matter what was playing. We’d hold hands and share a big tub of popcorn, even if the movie was terrible.” He chuckled softly.
I listened, feeling a lump form in my throat.
“When she passed away five years ago, I couldn’t bear to stop coming. It felt like if I did, I would be letting go of her. So, I kept buying two tickets—one for me and one for her. I like to think that, in some way, she’s still here, watching with me.”
His words hung in the air, thick with love and sorrow. I didn’t know what to say. I simply nodded, my heart aching for this man who held onto love so deeply.
That night, as he walked into the theater, I watched him take his usual seat—the one he and his wife always shared. He carefully placed the second ticket beside him on the empty seat.
From that day on, I made sure to set aside his tickets before he even asked. And every Friday, as he walked in, I greeted him with a warm smile, knowing that love like his never truly fades.
