Short Story Writing

Short Story
As the sun was going down on a cold Friday evening, Peter Smith, a worker at a local bakery, noticed an older man who seemed stranded on the side of the road. After almost thirty minutes of waiting to see if any passerby would offer to help the older man, Peter made his way out of the bakery and rushed to where the older man had parked his Volkswagen Beetle, which was still sputtering when he approached the older man.
Even though he wore a smile on his face, Peter was worried. For the past thirty minutes, no passerby had attempted to assist the older man. He looked frail and flimsy. He had a full head of white hair which served as evidence of his many years on earth. His baggy overalls were held in place by a pair of yellow and green striped suspenders. He used a wooden walking stick to support his body weight as he made short, careful steps to the front of the vehicle.
Peter could tell that the older man was afraid. To break the tension, he said, “Good evening sir, I am here to help you. My name is Peter Smith, and I am a baker at the bakery across the road. Please go ahead and have a seat in the car where it is warm as I look at what may be the issue here.” All he had was a flat tire. But, for an older man, a flat tire was no small issue. Peter crawled under the tiny car looking for a place where he could position the jack, skinning his knuckles a couple of times. He managed to change the tire, but in the process, he got dirty and bruised.
As Peter was tightening the lug nuts, the older man rolled down the window and started a conversation. “By the way, my name is Andre Johnson, but everyone calls me big John.” “Oh, Big John, how did you get that name?” Peter replied. “Well, believe it or not, when I was a young lad, I was skinny. But, as I advanced in age, I gained a ton of weight, and my friends gave me a new name to match new my weight,” Andre replied. As they conversed, Peter learned that Andre was from Houston, Texas, and was only passing through. Soon, Peter finished fixing the tire. Andre could not hide his joy, knowing that he could he continue with his journey with ease.
“How much do I owe you?” Andre asked. Any amount that Peter wanted was fine with him. After all, he had just saved his life. He already pictured all the dreadful things that may have happened to him if Peter did not come to his rescue. Not once did Peter think about receiving money in exchange for his help. This was no...