A man returns to his hometown after 15 years to see his mother and finds her house in ruins and no one knows if she is still alive.
Jason Warner was determined to become a successful, wealthy man, but there was no way that was going to happen in Oberlin, Ohio, a town of 4,000 people. So as soon as he graduated from high school, Jason packed his bags and left.
His father died when Jason was little, and he was raised by his mother, Rose. Jason also had no siblings to leave behind, and he was sure Rose would do just fine. Besides, he had his own life to live.
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Things went pretty much as Jason had planned. He graduated top of his class in law school and was offered a position at a prestigious firm. During his first week on the job, he met his boss’s daughter, and his future was secure.
Mary Beth Harrow fell in love with the young lawyer, and what Mary Beth wanted, Mary Beth got. Jason was also delighted. Besides, Mary Beth was quite pretty, she was rich, and her father promoted her career.
Everything was perfect, and things got even better when Jason and Mary Beth married and welcomed twins, a boy and a girl. Jason had never considered himself a father, but he fell in love with his children.
He couldn’t imagine life without Rita and Roy. And whenever he could get time off work, he devoted it to his family. However, while Roy and Rita are thrilled to have their father home all the time, Mary Beth isn’t.
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She discovered that this new fatherly Jason bored her and soon filed for divorce and custody of the children. Jason was devastated. He fought tooth and nail for his children, but his stepfather was a powerful man, and he lost.
Jason lay on his bed in his hotel room, feeling devastated and empty. It was then that he thought, “Is this how my mother felt when I left? Is this what I did to her?” In fact, he realized that he had been gone for fifteen years and hadn’t contacted his mother once.
Early the next morning, Jason flew to Cleveland, rented a car, and drove to Oberlin. He was excited as he began driving those familiar streets. He couldn’t wait to see Rose and tell her about his grandchildren.
However, when he stopped in front of his childhood home, he was shocked. The beautiful house was nothing but ruins. The roof was gone, torn off, and the contents of the rooms were scattered.
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Jason rushed to the next house and rang the doorbell. “Please,” he exclaimed. “Rose Warner, where is she?”
“Rose?” the man asked. “Rose’s house was swept away by a tornado two years ago… I don’t know what happened to it.
Jason knocked on the doors of every house in the neighborhood, but no one knew what happened to Rose. Desperate, he went to the police station and asked to speak to the sheriff.
Family is what we have left when everything else disappears.
To his surprise, he recognized Harry Tarbell, an old classmate. “Harry!” Jason cried. “I hope you can help me, I’m desperate! I went to my mother’s house and it’s completely destroyed. No one seems to know if she’s still alive!”
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“Hey Jason,” Harry shook his hand. “How long has it been? Fifteen years?”
“Yeah, pretty much…” Jason grew impatient. “About my mother…”
“Let’s see…” Harry sat down at a computer and looked at lists of names. “Well, she’s not in town. Some of the people who lost their homes were relocated to Pennsylvania; maybe your mother was one of them.”
Jason felt a new hope flood his heart. “Thank you, Harry,” he cried. That afternoon, Jason contacted the charity that had helped vulnerable people find new homes.
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Even though Rose’s name wasn’t on their list, the foundation advised Jason to contact three refugee shelters that had hosted refugees from Ohio. Over the next week, Jason searched for every clue he could find, but Rose was nowhere to be found.
However, Jason wasn’t ready to give up. He decided to start his search from the beginning and see if he could find a new clue about his mother’s whereabouts. He first went to the sheriff’s office, but Harry wasn’t there.
The dispatcher told him Harry was home. Luckily, Jason remembered where Harry lived, so he drove to his old house. He parked his car in front of the house. And just as he was about to knock, he heard a voice he’d recognize anywhere: It was Rose!
Jason knocked on the door. “Open it,” he shouted. “You lied to me, my mom is here at your house!”
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Harry opened the door, and behind him, Jason saw his mother, who looked much older and frailer than he remembered. “Mom!” he shouted, pushing Harry aside.
Jason hugged his mother. She was crying and whispering his name. Then he turned to Harry. “You lied to me!” he said angrily. “You sent me on the wrong track and brought my mother here!”
Harry lowered his head. “I didn’t think you’d look any further. For fifteen years, you didn’t give her a second thought…”
“I made a mistake, Harry,” Jason admitted.
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“You know, Jason,” Harry said bitterly, “I lost my mother when I was little, but you threw yours away because you didn’t know what a treasure family is.”
“I know now, Harry. I promise you, I’ve learned my lesson,” Jason said.
“Jason,” Rose said gently. “For the past 15 years, Harry has been kind and loving like a son, and two years ago, he took me in. He’s as much my son as you are, and I won’t abandon him.”
Jason cried. “Oh Mom, I’m so sorry it took losing my kids to realize what I did! I need a family, Mom, I need you!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Harry stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You have a family. You have your mother, and if you let me, I can be your brother and your friend.”
Jason returned to Boston to be close to his children, but every month he visited his family in Ohio – his mother and brother.
What can we learn from this story?
- Family is what we have left when everything else is gone . Jason learned the value of family when he lost everything he had worked so hard for.
- What makes a family is love and kindness . Rose was abandoned by her son, but Harry loved and cherished her like the mother he had lost.
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This story is inspired by the daily lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or places is purely coincidental. All images are used for illustrative purposes only. Share your story with us; it might just change someone’s life. If you’d like to share your story, email us at info@amomama.com.
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