My family stopped coming to see me entirely after the death of my wife, but the children from the neighborhood became a source of consolation for me since they showed up on a regular basis. After I had reached the point where I was sick of my own family ignoring me, I made the decision to show them what they were losing out on.
I have been on this planet for seventy-eight years, and over that time I have gained some knowledge about humans. When you are beneficial to them, they will keep you near, but when you are not, they will forget about you. On the other hand, after spending years by alone in this ancient mansion, you either develop a sense of resentment or discover a way to laugh. I made the decision to laugh myself silly and perhaps impart some knowledge along the way.
Since Clara, my beloved wife, had died away seventeen years ago, I had been living by myself for the most part. The home was filled with a heavy and profound silence after her burial, and it filled every part of the house. I can still remember it.
I believed that my family would be able to assist in filling that need. We had, after all, brought up three children together, seen the development of our six grandchildren, and even welcomed two great-grandchildren into the world. I had anticipated that they would remain. A man, however, may only hope…
There are times when hope and reality do not get along. As the weeks came into months, and the years turned into decades, my family began to disappear, with the exception of the odd Christmas letter or brief phone contact. When I gazed out the window, I would see neighbors with their children, and I would hear laughing that was not directed at me.
Then, as if it were a present from on high, the children of the neighborhood began coming by! I would sometimes get a glimpse of Milo, Lila, Wren, and a few other individuals peeking through my fence, and before long, they would be coming by one by one!
I thought it would be just a short visit at first, but then it turned into another, and before I knew it, they were spending the whole afternoon together! In addition to bringing cookies that they had cooked (or attempted to prepare), they would inquire about tales that occurred when I was their age and reveal secrets that they would never reveal to their parents!
They were loud, noisy, and a complete and utter delight to me! Over the course of my most recent birthday celebration, 10 children and their parents crowded around my little table, singing off-key and devouring an excessive amount of cake. The birthday I celebrated was the finest one I’d had in years!
In the middle of a frigid day, Milo looked up at me with his large brown eyes and inquired, “Mr. Elton, where is your family?” Are they going to come visit you?
“They’re busy, kiddo,” I answered with a grin on my face and a little stroke on his shoulder. These days, everyone is really busy.
“It’s unfortunate that they are unable to find the time to spend with a pleasant elderly gentleman like yourself who is always smiling,” he remarked.
I was alone with my thoughts that night, and the reality seemed more burdensome than it ever had before.
However, time had reduced me to nothing more than a name on a card and a branch on the family tree, despite the fact that I had been a fine father and a respectable grandfather. That is when the thought occurred to me.
Considering that they would not show up for birthdays or holidays, it is possible that they may show up if they believed that they had missed their last opportunity!
I made up my mind to impart upon them a lesson that they would never forget. “I had had enough of being nice!”
After a few days had passed, I gathered the children of the neighborhood, who were overjoyed to be a part of the festivities, and put together invitations for my children and grandchildren. I began by ensuring that the children’s parents were in good health.
On the invites, it was written, “You are invited to the memorial of Elton Warrick,” and the date, time, and location of the memorial service were all scheduled for the following Saturday.
At the very end, I included a small bit of bait, which was as follows: “Someone will announce the division of inheritance at the event.”
That was a certain way to attract their attention!
On the morning of the “funeral,” I dressed on my nicest suit, made sure my tie was in place, and then I went to the cemetery with the children, who were very well jumping out of their seats with excitement.
“Mr. Elton, do you ever think that they will show up?” Wren inquired while clutching a collection of wildflowers that she had discovered.
My voice was filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation as I laughed and said, “Oh, I bet they will, Wren.” It is said that the term “inheritance” is quite effective in bringing people together.
Several folding chairs and a table were placed in a small area close to the border of the graveyard where we set up our setup. As I waited, I sat a little bit away, concealed by some large trees, and surrounded by my little group of companions.
That’s exactly what happened: my sons, my daughter, their families, and even some relatives I hadn’t seen in years began to arrive in their automobiles like clockwork. They seemed to be perplexed and anxious as they gazed about, and it dawned on me how unusual this location must have been to them.
As I continued down the trail, I saw that my oldest grandson, Soren, together with his siblings, Maris and Juniper, were approaching. Not only did seeing them bring back memories of Christmas mornings and summers spent at the lake, but it also brought back memories of the way they would fill the home with love and noise. But it seemed as if those days were an other existence…
My family glanced at each other in a perplexed manner as they came that much closer. After what seemed like an eternity, when everyone was there, the children of the neighborhood and I emerged from the cover of the woods, and they saw me… bright and full of life, with a broad smile.
The expressions that were on their faces were just remarkable! Some others looked about as if they were hoping it was a mistake, while others watched with their mouths dropped in shock.
First to speak was Juniper. “Dad? ” Whoa… “What exactly is going on?”
Attempting to suppress a giggle, I sat down, leaned back in my chair, and clasped my hands together. Were you taken aback to see me?
It’s true! With a startled chuckle, Soren blurted out the information. “It is expected of you to be… I mean, we had the impression that you were…”
It’s gone? After finishing for him, I began my speech with a kind smile on my face. “That’s not quite right. On the other hand, I was curious about how quickly you would all turn up if you believed that you had missed your opportunity.
Concerned, they exchanged glances with one another, and the ensuing quiet was dense. To prevent them from being very uncomfortable, I shattered it.
“Look, I understand—life is jam-packed. Careers, families, and hobbies—it’s a lot to juggle. I am aware of it. Nevertheless, people, it has been seventeen years. There have been seventeen years with hardly any visits or words exchanged.
My tone became more kind. “I’ve been lonely for a very long time. I gave a little gesture to Milo, Wren, and the other children there and said, “If it weren’t for these children here, I would have spent my final years in a house that was empty, waiting for you to show up!”
They were beginning to show signs of remorse, and although I felt a little sorry for them, it was not enough to make me stop what I was doing. The lesson was necessary for them. I took out my old calculator from my pocket and brought it out.
“Now,” I continued, holding it out, “since you all came for the inheritance talk, let’s do it.” I was describing the situation. I’ll divide what I have among you according to the amount of time you’ve spent with me over the course of the last several years.
I activated the calculator, and as I was doing so, I was enjoying the moment by touching the buttons.
As soon as I began screaming out the sums, they gazed at me with wide eyes. A zero was given to Cousin Amy, who had not been to the house in the last five years. Even my kids and daughter did not get anything, which caused everyone to gasp in disbelief.
After that, I turned my attention to the children. All of them, including Milo, Lila, and Wren, were watching me, completely oblivious to the situation. “Milo,” I replied with a smirk on my face, “for all of those afternoons that you spent listening to this old man’s stories, you are going to get $90,000.”
The other children gasped, not believing what they were hearing, and his mouth fell.
If you’re serious, Mr. Elton? “That’s a huge amount of money,” he said, his eyes very large.
“Absolutely,” I said, feeling a sense of pride. “From $30,000 to $90,000, each and every one of you children will receive a stake.” It is yours to keep!
As the children in the neighborhood glowed with happiness and surprise, my family stood there in a state of shock. Juniper let out a sigh-inducing chuckle of sorts.
She spoke the words, “I can’t believe it,” mostly to herself.
I went to Maris, my youngest granddaughter, and picked out a tiny photograph that was framed. It was a picture of her sitting on my lap when she was a young child, smiling as if everything was great.
“And you, sweetheart,” I said to her as I handed her the frame, “you really understand this.” The value of it exceeds that of money. This is without a doubt the most wonderful present that you have ever given to me.
She snapped the picture with tears in her eyes as she ran her fingers over the glass. She was in her adult years at the time. Everyone else in the family watched, and some of them even shed tears as they understood what I was trying to convey.
At long last, I examined each and every one of them.
Let this serve as a lesson for all of you. There is more to family than simply blood. It is about the time you spend together, the love you offer, and the moments you enjoy with one another. Make sure you don’t wait until it’s too late.
Soren moved nearer and placed his hand on my shoulder before continuing.
“Grandpa, we are very sorry. True enough, we are. The way we’ve been… well, we’ve been terrible.
As I patted his palm, I nodded my head.
“Son, I am aware that you are. And I make amends to you. Because life is too short to harbor resentment. I took a quick look at the children in the neighborhood, who were still giddy with joy. “And you children, you have made this elderly man’s last years seem as joyful as they possibly could have been! I am grateful to you!
After that, we all gathered around, and for the first time in years, I had the sensation that I had my family back, both the elderly and the younger members! Seeing the expressions on their faces, I knew that this lesson would stay with them.
