Since she couldn’t afford a $250 washing machine, Jessica asked the seller for a discount. He agreed immediately, which surprised her, but when she opened the machine at home, she found something even more surprising.
Jessica and Edward quickly realized that parenting would be tough after having Kathy, their first child. They were young parents dealing with financial struggles, always short on money.
Edward had a failing textile business in Texas, and Jessica worked as a weekend nanny while Edward took care of Kathy. After having a child, their expenses grew, but their income either stayed the same or dropped some months.
It must have been hard on them, too. Perhaps even harder. One weekend as Jessica left work, she glanced at her neighbor Sandra with her kids.
Sandra’s husband drove a truck, while she managed their third child. He was paid piecework, but not a lot. Sandra had worked on a farm for years to support her family, which was their only means of survival.
Jessica, Edward, and their neighbors were barely getting by. After Kathy’s birth, Edward stopped going to bars with friends to save money, and Jessica gave up the small luxuries she had been able to afford before.
For one month, finances were good. Jessica managed to save some money as Edward’s business slowly grew. But then her washing machine broke just as they were about to have a less hectic month.
After thinking it over, Jessica decided against repairing the old machine. The cost of labor and motor replacement was slightly cheaper than buying a new one, but the repaired machine might not last long, especially since it had needed repairs four times in the past year.
Sitting down at her computer, Jessica began looking for a cheap replacement. After an hour of searching, she found one that seemed perfect—but it was $250, and she could only afford $150.
Determined, she went to the store to ask for a discount in person. The seller, James Carter, lived at 1216 East Madison Street, Brownsville, TX. She wrote down the address.
