27-year-old Justin lives with the assumption he was orphaned after his mother’s death years ago. But everything changes one day when he accidentally finds letters from the dad he never knew existed and visits the address on the envelope.
Every weekend, Justin, 27, brought his kids, six and four-year-old Daisy and Robin, to his grandma Flora’s house. Throughout his growing-up years, Flora was all Justin had. And as he got older, he couldn’t thank destiny enough for giving him a loving grandma when he was orphaned too early after his mother’s death during childbirth.
Every weekend, they would have a wonderful time together barbecuing in their backyard or simply chilling over endless matches of Ludo. On one such weekend, Justin decided to help his grandma clean her house before Christmas. He visited her with all the cleaning essentials and started with the attic. He had been with her long enough to know how messy her attic was.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
He brought down all the unwanted items hoarded on the shelves up there. When Justin lifted a carton, its contents spilled, and a smaller box stashed with letters and old photos plopped down, drawing his attention. Justin was raised in that house until moving out with his wife Emma, and he knew what Flora had in every nook and corner of her home, except for what was in that unfamiliar box.
What are these letters and pictures? How did I miss noticing them all these years? Justin wondered. As he checked the photos, he saw that most of them were of his late mother hugging a stranger…
Who is Charlie, and why does he resemble me? Justin pondered after seeing the sender’s name on all the letters mailed to his mother. He could not recall anyone by that name. Curious, Justin took the letters and photos to Flora to find out.
“Grandma, who is this man in these pictures, and why is mom hugging him?” he questioned.
Anxiety and nervousness crawled up Flora’s gut as she realized it was time to reveal the truth to her grandson.
“Sweetie, I wanted to tell you long back, but I thought it was not the right time,” she began as Justin curiously listened.
“Do you remember you used to always ask about your dad? And how I told you he was dead? But the truth is—I was not sure if he was dead… I lied to you.”
“My dad? Is this man in the photo with my mother my dad?”
Never lie to your children because even a little lie can change their lives.
“Yes, dear! Your mother and father met in another city and fell in love. They wanted to get married in the fall that year, and they even exchanged letters. But before their dream wedding, your dad was sent to the war. He was a soldier.”
“Grandma, what happened to my dad after that?”
“Sweetie, he went missing. I could not tell him that my daughter was pregnant with his child. I didn’t know what happened to him, and I thought he was dead when he never showed up after I wrote to him.”
Startled by the revelation, Justin took the letters and photos to investigate further. A weird feeling knocked deep inside, telling him to visit the city where his dad had allegedly met his mom and find out if he had any paternal relatives. But Justin guessed little about what he would find there.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Getty Images
This is the address, but why is this place deserted? Justin wondered as he arrived at the address mentioned on the envelope. He knocked on the door, but nobody answered.
“Hey, I’m Justin. I’m new to this place. Uh, do you know who lives in this house?” he asked the neighbors.
“Hey, oh yeah, an old man named Charlie lives here alone. He is a wheelchair user, and I think he works in the antique shop in town. Why don’t you go there and check?”
Justin was astonished when the name the neighbor gave matched the one on the envelope. Several emotions of joy and sorrow fleeted across his face as he thanked the guy and hurried to the antique shop. Behind the counter, he saw an older man arranging brassware on the shelf.
“Charlie???” he inquired as his heart pounded faster. The man turned around and could not recognize Justin.
“Hey, I’m… Justin. From Wyoming. I came here to—” Justin clammed up.
“Yes, how may I help you?” Charlie responded.
“N—No, I’ve come to meet you.”
“Young man, do I know you?”
Justin then took out the old letters and pictures and showed them to Charlie, who turned pale and began to cry like a kid.
“Ha—how did you get them?”
“DAD, I’m your son!!” Justin cried as Charlie flushed red with shock.
“My son??”
“Yes, my mother Aubrey died after giving birth to me.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Getty Images
Charlie could not hold back his tears. As it turned out, he was wounded in the war and had lost his ability to walk. He went through a long path to rehabilitation, and when he returned to his house, he found a letter in his mailbox informing him of his girlfriend’s death. Flora sent the mail but never mentioned anything about Aubrey’s pregnancy or her newborn baby.
Following their reconciliation, Justin took Charlie home to seek more answers from his grandma and eventually put the pieces of the puzzle together, moving everyone to tears.
Two days later, at his grandma’s house…
Emma and Flora were setting up the BBQ when they noticed an older man in a wheelchair being pushed onto the lawn by Justin.
“Darling, I’m glad you’re back. Your kids missed you so much!” Flora exclaimed, still unable to recognize Charlie. But after a closer gaze, she burst into tears and dropped to her knees, begging Justin and Charlie for forgiveness.
“Grandma, I found my dad in the city in his house. Why didn’t you tell him about me??”
“Sweetie, I did write to him that your mother passed away. I thought he’ll come and visit. I wanted to tell him about you in person. But he never showed up, and I assumed he went missing. His sudden disappearance made me think he was dead in the war.”
At this point, Charlie chimed in and made another confession.
“Son, your grandma is right. I found her last letter months after I returned home from rehab. I was heartbroken by my girlfriend’s untimely death and could not muster the courage to visit your grandma. I thought my whole life had ended, and to worsen things, I’d lost my ability to walk in the war.”
“Dad, it’s okay. We cannot go back to the past and change things. But we can always strive for a brighter future. I’m glad we are together now. Let’s forget the past and only live for the future.”
Justin and Charlie embraced tearfully. While the old dad, who thought he was alone, found his son, Justin found a loving father and a grandfather for his kids.
