When Khadijah Muhammad showed up for her waitress job at Cheddar’s restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 23, her electricity was going to be shut off, but she focused on serving her clients, the Daily News reports.
So it seemed like a miracle when an unidentified family left a tip of $1,075 for a meal of $29.30, the News says, citing a report at WBIR TV.
"I just remember seeing a comma after the one and knew it wasn't $10. And I was like, 'Oh, my God!'” the waitress told WBIR. “And I just lost my balance and I was like, 'Does this say a thousand dollars?' I could not believe it."
The timing couldn’t have been better, she told the station. She had taken off several days to visit her mom in Ohio after she suffered a heart attack. While her mother pulled through, Muhammad told the station that she returned home to a pile of bills.
“I've been trying to pick up any extra shifts that I can," the waitress said.
The Knoxville Utilities Board had left a note on her door, saying that her electricity would be disconnected if she didn’t pay her past-due bill by Jan 23.
“I was thinking I'm really going to need a miracle to pay my bills this month," Muhammad said.
Read more at the Daily News.