Little George and Chris were eager to help their grandmother on the farm while their grandfather was recovering in a hospital. When they heard a strange rustling in the middle of the farm, they couldn’t resist following the noise; thank goodness they did.
“Mom, are you crying?” Chris could clearly see the reflection of his mother’s eyes welling up in the rearview mirror.
“Mom, don’t cry! If you cry, we’ll cry!” George was almost in tears.
“I’m not crying, my sweet boys.” Lydia composed herself. “I’m just a little sad that I’m not going to see you for ten days.”
“Oh, we’re going to miss you, too, mom. But don’t worry. Ten days will fly by, and we’ll be back home in no time!”
“Oh no, will time really fly by? I was really looking forward to a fun stay at grandma and grandpa’s. Are you telling me we won’t have enough time to play with the chickens and goats after we’ve cleaned up the farm?”
George crossed his arms and made a grumpy face, looking out the window.
“Of course, you can play with the chickens and goats, darling, to your heart’s content!” Lydia reassured her younger boy.
“But promise me again that you will be on your best behavior!” the kids’ mother demanded.
“We’ll be on our best behavior, mom. We’ll help grandma, pray for grandpa to get better at the hospital and come home soon, and be honest children,” Chris tried to reassure his mother with a cute, innocent tone.
“Yes, mom. And we’ll call you every day so you can kiss us nighty night on the phone.”
“There you are, my two little helpers! Come here, boys!” The grandmother almost snatched the children into her arms, holding onto them and swaying in sheer joy and excitement.
Lydia hugged her sons and her mother before leaving. “Mom, you give me a call if you or the boys need absolutely anything, okay?
After watching their mother drive away into the horizon, the boys turned to their grandmother. “Now, grandma, tell us what to do on the farm today.”
The old woman smiled as she dipped her sore feet in a tub of warm water. “The fact that you are so eager to help me is sweet enough, darlings. Consider myself helped.”
“No way. You cannot do everything by yourself. And look! Your eyes look dull and small, like you haven’t slept in days. Besides, we promised grandpa we would help out here.”
“Farm work,” little George said after stuffing his mouth with corn puffs, “is not all that easy. Grandpa taught us how to do it. We can help you. At least until grandpa returns home after his back heals, and you and grandpa can hire a new helper.”
The boys’ grandmother was quietly proud of her two grandsons. They had grown up in the city, living an easy and protected life with their deservingly successful parents. But they still kept in touch with their roots. They still valued the joy of getting their hands dirty on a farm. And most of all, they still showed up for their grandparents.
When you see someone in need of kindness, do your best to help.
“Okay, kids. Your task for the next…hour,” Sandra said, looking at the watch, “is to go out to the farm and make a list of five things that need cleaning. I want to see how keenly you observe things. And when you hear me shout out to you, come running back. It means that your favorite pie is ready!”
The boys high-fived each other and proceeded to the farm.
“Chris, this way!” George was still skipping around the farm, even though he and his brother had been walking around for the better part of an hour.
“Hold on, George, I’m coming!” Chris stopped to take a few deep breaths and take a few gulps of water from his flask.
Chris followed George towards a tiny old shed in the center of the farm. It looked dusty like nobody had been there in the past few weeks.
The boys casually looked around the space until they heard rustling sounds coming from inside the shed.
“Someone else is here!” Chris whispered and widened his eyes to alert his brother.
There was that rustling again!
As the brothers tiptoed towards the strange sound, something else shook them with fear. They saw a shadow speeding from one wall to the other, and then it disappeared.
Even Chris was trembling with fear. There was pin drop silence in the shed, apart from the distant cawing sounds of crows.
“Who’s there?” George screamed.
“If you’re a ghost, go away. You aren’t supposed to be here during lunch hour, are you? Come back at night when we’ll be sleeping!”
George’s loud voice was interrupted by an even louder one. Is that a cat?
They followed the sound, and behind a heap of hay, cushioned on an old tire and hay and wrapped in a burrito of old clothes was…
“A baby?!” The boys gasped in excitement but were clueless at the same time.
“How do we stop this baby from crying? It must be hungry. Where’s its mama?” George looked around.
“It’s your screaming that woke the baby up, you know!” Chris said, trying to pat and soothe the baby.
It had been less than 2 minutes, and the boys were beginning to worry that the baby might never quiet down.
“Baby, don’t cry. If you cry, I’ll cry!” George couldn’t control himself.
Suddenly, from behind the shed door, a woman ran towards the baby.
“Sallie, sweetheart. Mama is here. Mama is so sorry she tried to leave you. I love you, darling!”
The boys watched with astonishment as the woman gently picked up the baby and held it close to her chest, and the baby stopped crying instantly.
“That was amazing! How did you do that?” George asked innocently.
“I’m the mother. Children are always soothed by their mother’s presence…”
Denise kissed her baby and broke into tears, leaving the boys misty-eyed.
“Who are you, and tell me why I shouldn’t call the police right now?” a loud familiar voice called out from behind the beautiful scene.
“Grandma! Shhh! The baby is sleeping.”
“The baby?” Grandma walked closer, smiled at the baby, and closely observed the strange young woman from head to toe. The woman looked poor, in tattered clothes and nothing to protect her blistered feet.
“I’ve never seen this face before. How did she even get here? Sit down and tell me everything. Do not lie!” Grandma could be very sweet and very stern at the same time.
The woman explained: “My name is Denise. I used to work on the neighboring farm. But after seven years of working there, the owners fired me the moment they found out I was pregnant.
So I had no job and barely anything to eat for several days. When Sallie finally arrived, I struggled to look for work again. It’s been a month since this angel was born, but I’m still in the same struggling place.
Denise’s tears wouldn’t stop flowing.
“I had seen you and your husband, daughter, and grandchildren on the farm every now and then.
“I could hear your laughter and sense that you were kind people who always had plenty to eat and serve.
“So, in a moment of weakness, I decided to sneak in here, and…and…” Denise couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“…give up the child to us?” Sandra helped and stroked Denise’s back downwards to calm her down.
After a few seconds, Sandra stood in silence, thinking about what she should do.
“We’ll figure something out, Denise. But first, come on home. Have a slice of pie and a cup of coffee.”
Sandra and the boys had a hearty meal with their unexpected guests.
Denise got up to do the dishes, and when the sounds of clattering plates woke baby Sallie up, it was Sandra who rushed to soothe her back to sleep. One look at the baby’s peaceful face and curled little fingers, and Sandra had made a decision.
“Denise, how would you like to be hired as farm help?”
The poor woman almost dropped a bowl on the floor in surprise.
“We’ll pay you weekly and help you with a room where you can live… There’s only one condition.”
Chris and George were looking at Sandra with as much anticipation as Denise.
“I get to babysit this little bundle of joy!”
“Me, too!” Chris raised his hand.
“Me three!” George jumped in.
The two boys had the best vacation of their lives that summer. In those 10 days, they helped their grandma set up a room for Sallie and her mother, bringing out old toys and furniture. Grandma even arranged the crib that Chris and George would sleep in when they were little babies!
Taking care of their new baby sister was a treat, and Denise and grandma’s special delicacies were a cherry on top.
A week later, when their grandfather recovered and was brought back home, he was surprised to see his beloved farm all clean and proper. But he was beyond ecstatic by the surprise new housemates.
Lydia knew it would be hard for the boys to leave after barely two weeks of living at the farm. So she promised to bring the boys back to see Sallie every weekend.
And Lydia and the boys never broke that promise.
What can we learn from this story?
When you see someone in need of kindness, do your best to help. The little boys knew that their grandmother was in need of help at the farm. Sandra knew the poor woman trespassing her farm needed help raising her child. All of them acted on their kindness as best as they could.
Children have a way of opening our hearts. Chris and George knew exactly how to console their mother, learn from their grandfather, and help their grandmother in her time of need. And when they met Sallie, they embraced her as their own sister in no time.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a disabled single father who raises twins after their mom abandons them. An old couple shows up at his doorstep to help unexpectedly.
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. All images are for illustration purposes only.