A woman declines her ex-lover’s invitation to meet him 53 years after their breakup, but when she comes across old letters from him, she reconsiders and visits him – only to find his house in ruins.
Bessie Walsh, 76, was always a cheerful and lively woman, but after losing her other half, Edward, to cancer three years ago, she was left a depressed and helpless soul.
Bessie and Edward had been happily married for 45 years, with two adorable daughters and a beautiful home in a wonderful neighborhood. But when Edward left her for his heavenly home, this joyful woman found herself alone and heartbroken.
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Bessie’s daughters, Stephanie and Cassandra, were both married and living abroad, so the only company she had in her later years was photo albums and memories of her children when they were young. As a result, she would rummage through her storage room every night to find all the old albums and sit for hours leafing through them.
One evening, while looking through one of their family albums, she found a stack of envelopes buried in a corner under an old crate. She dusted them off to get a better look when one of the envelopes fell to the floor, revealing a letter.
She brought everything into the living room and put on her glasses to read them, but as soon as she opened the first letter, her heart started racing.
“Hello Bessie,
This is Troy. I’m so sorry, Bess. Look, I understand you’re mad at me, but please give me a chance to explain. What you saw wasn’t real, trust me. I’ve only loved you, and I’ll never look at anyone the same way again. Meet me today at the Red Rose Cafe at 5:00 PM—I’m in your hometown. I’ll explain everything. I promise.
With love, Troy.”
No one could have predicted that the happy, constantly smiling Bessie would also have a sad side, but she did….
At 23, she was madly in love with Troy Evans, a young and attractive man. They had met at university and fallen in love, and Troy had even proposed to her. Bessie had said yes without hesitation, and their wedding was already planned. But one night, something happened that changed everything…
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Bessie was at a restaurant with her friends when she noticed Troy. At first, she thought she had misidentified the man as Troy, but she knew it was him when she looked at him again. She was about to walk over and hug him when a gorgeous brunette rushed over and kissed him on the cheek. Then they held hands and walked to a table together.
Bessie was shocked, to say the least. “Really, Troy? You’re cheating on me!” That day, she left the restaurant sobbing, vowing never to see him again. She did, however, leave him a goodbye note, stating that she was moving back to her hometown and that it was all over between them.
Troy wrote her many letters after receiving her last letter, begging her to give him a chance to explain, but she didn’t bother to read any of them. She later married Edward after falling in love with him. She had even forgotten she had Troy’s letters with her until a mailman showed up on her doorstep one day. “A letter for you, ma’am. How lovely! Nobody does that these days!”
Bessie wondered who could possibly be sending her a letter, since her parents had long since died and her husband was an orphan with no living relatives. She opened the letter out of curiosity, only to find it was written by Troy.
“Dear Bessie,
It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? It took me a long time to find you, but I did. I didn’t come to meet you because I don’t want to cause problems in your marriage. But I just want to see you once, Bess. You haven’t answered any of my letters in all these years, but please give me a chance to explain. I live in Chicago, and you’ll find my address inside the envelope. Please, Bess, meet me once. I hope you won’t decline my request this time.
With all my love,
Troy Evans.”
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This was about a year after Edward’s death, and Bessie was still fraught with grief, so she threw this letter and the others he sent later into the storeroom, never intending to read them. However, as she reread one of his letters tonight, she felt something—presumably a longing to be with someone or to be loved—and moved on to the next.
“Dear Bessie,
This is the last letter I’m writing to you. I’ve written to you so many times, and I really wanted to meet you, but I guess it won’t happen. So I’m writing this letter to explain why I kept telling you I didn’t cheat on you.
A friend of mine asked me to play the role of his sister’s boyfriend that day so the boys who were harassing her wouldn’t bother her. I wanted to tell you about it earlier, but you were at your grandparents’ house at the time, and when you came back, everything was ruined.
I’ve only loved you with all my heart, and I’ve never considered anyone else. I’m still single, and I hope you’ll forgive me and come back to me. But if you don’t, then I think this is goodbye.
With all my love,
Troy Evans.”
Bessie’s eyes filled with tears as she finished reading. Troy had never been unfaithful to her. In truth, he had wanted to tell her everything, but she was too angry to think rationally. She couldn’t help feeling bad for the man who had honestly loved her all his life. She frantically searched through the letters to find the envelope with her address and decided to pay him a visit.
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However, when she arrived, she found only an old, dilapidated house with a broken roof and faded paint. She began asking the neighbors about him, but no one knew anything. Depressed, she had almost left the neighborhood when her gaze was caught by a frail 95-year-old woman.
She had been watching her closely ever since she arrived there. Sensing that she knew something and wanted to tell her, she decided to approach her. “Excuse me, do you know anything about Troy Evans?” she asked kindly.
The elderly woman didn’t say a word and handed her a note. “Go to this address; he’ll be there. He left this place two years ago and never returned,” it read. Bessie realized the woman was mute, so she said nothing.
“Thank you!” she whispered to the woman before heading towards the address. An hour later, her search for Troy brought her to The Oliver Nursing Home, where she quickly spotted him. He sat motionless in a wheelchair in the courtyard outside, almost like a statue. His previously vibrant and sparkling eyes had a strange, dead expression, and his face was dotted with wrinkles.
Bessie’s eyes lit up as she approached him. “Hello, Troy. How are you? It’s me, Bessie!”
The man slowly turned his wheelchair to face him, but he didn’t say a word.
Bessie smiled at him, tears in her eyes, and took his hand in hers. “I’m finally here, Troy. I’m sorry I ignored you all these years. Please forgive me,” she whispered softly.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted her. “There’s no point in trying, madam. I’m afraid he won’t recognize you.”
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Bessie turned around and saw a woman in her fifties standing there. It was Debbie, Troy’s caregiver at the nursing home. She informed her that Troy had suffered memory loss due to the stroke and was unable to speak.
Bessie was heartbroken when she heard this. When she finally met Troy after all these years, he was in such a state that he didn’t even recognize her! But she decided not to give up so soon.
She began visiting him often and told him their stories—how they had met, and she also showed him the letters—in the hope that he would remember something. At first, it didn’t help much, but once, when she went to see him, he cried terribly after reading one of the letters. He continued to sob, and that was the first time he recognized Bessie and called her by name! Even the nurses were amazed. It was truly a miracle!
Bessie brought Troy home that day, and they now live happily together. She is grateful that she decided to look through those letters that evening.
What can we learn from this story?
- Don’t jump to conclusions. Bessie thought Troy had cheated on her without giving her a chance to clarify her situation.
- What’s meant to be will be. Troy and Bessie were meant to end up together, and that’s what happened in the end.
Read also: After 40 years, a lonely old man finds the book he gave to his first love, revealing a big secret she had kept from him – Story of the day
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 change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, email us at info@amomama.com.
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