He was astounded and shocked to see the condition of the house. Everywhere was deserted and hollow; it seemed like it had been that way for over a few years. The grass around it was overgrown, and the dust on the windows was a couple of inches thick.
Getting down from his car and walking towards the front door, Joey could feel his panic swelling. “Mom! Mom!” he yelled, his voice echoing in the house as he barged right through the door after knocking without getting any response.
The inside was just as abandoned as the outside, and Joey could feel his fears double in intensity as he looked around the house with no trace of his mother. He instantly called his mother’s number, but regardless of how many times he called, no one picked up. At that moment, Joey felt regret, realizing how big a fool he had been for not calling her all these years.
“Is-is she—” unable to say the thoughts brewing in his head out loud, not knowing what he would do if it were true. He didn’t give up searching the house and continued to look through every nook and corner of it. When he was about to give up, he glanced at the fireplace, shocked to see a half-burnt letter poking out slightly under the ashes and dust.
He instantly bent down to reach for it, not expecting to see his name written right at the top of it. His eyes teared up as he read:
“Joey, sweetie, I miss you so much. Where did you leave me and go?
“I wish you had never left me. If I knew you had planned to leave me and disappear like this, I would have agreed to go with you instead. “Please come back, Joey.
I miss you to the core. Nothing can ever replace you. This silence around me is killing me.
The house is so empty, and my heart feels heavier and haunted without you. I wish—”
The rest was burnt to ashes. Convinced he needed to find his mother, Joey wiped away his tears and tried to find help.
Stepping outside, he encountered their old neighbor. “Mr. Colins.
I just got back, and I’m looking for my mother,” Joey explained, breathing heavily. “Are you Flora’s son…the boy who ran away thirteen years ago?” Mr. Colins asked, squinting his eyes.
“Yes. Where’s my mother? She’s not home.
Did she tell you anything?” he asked, his voice quivering. Mr. Colins revealed that Joey’s mother had been taken to the hospital.
He thanked him and rushed off. “Please…please be alright, Mom,” Joey whispered in the taxi, fearing the worst. “MOM!” he exclaimed, approaching Flora’s side after finding her room.
Flora’s eyes fluttered open, and upon recognizing Joey, she enveloped him in a tight embrace. “JOEY…my boy!” she cried, tears of joy streaming down her face. He cried again, not wanting to let go.
“I’m so…so sorry for not calling or visiting you earlier… I didn’t want to disappoint you,” he confessed, his voice breaking. Flora brushed aside Joey’s apologies. “Tell me more, Joey.
I want to hear you talk…Oh, your voice! How I missed hearing that voice…and laughter,” she urged, messing with his hair. Joey shared his journey, from the struggles in the city to becoming a doctor, thanks to Mr.
Clark’s scholarship. He revealed his plans to rebuild the farm and insisted that Flora move in with him in the city until the farmhouse was restored. Flora agreed without hesitation.
After many years of separation, neither wanted to be apart again, even for a second. Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
A young girl asks the doctor to turn off her dad’s life support in the hospital when her dad suddenly opens his eyes and sits up on the bed, saying, “I knew it!” Here’s the full story. This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental.
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