The heartwarming story of this old woman who cared for a street boy in the cold winter will surely captivate your heart. 20 years later the boy surprisingly came back to return the favor to the kind-hearted woman in the most unexpected way.
At the age of 22, she was married to a man she barely knew because it was only her parents arranged the whole matrimony with her having very little say in it. Eventually, they were blessed with three daughters, but her husband had always wanted a son.
Because of this, her husband’s family directed their angst and hate against her. The woman was treated like a servant rather than their daughter-in-law and she had no place in their home.
Left with no choice, she accepted her fate with a quiet fortitude that goes through the hardest of times. She was never allowed to eat together with the family at the table.
They would start eating while she was still busy in the kitchen. Then she would have to wait until they finished their meal before she can have her turn at the dining table. It was usually just leftovers which were scarce, but she needed to finish every piece of food left on the plates.
One cold winter evening, the woman was alone in the house because her in-laws, husband, and daughters went out. She heard a knock on the front door, but was not expecting anyone back to the house for the next few hours.
To her surprise, she saw a scrawny little boy at the door, the boy looked extremely thin and wore tattered slippers and he was shivering from the bitter cold.
The little boy desperately begged to be let in the house to escape the cold outside, he also told her that he would surely starve and not able to survive the bitter cold if the woman would turn him away. The kind-hearted woman felt the need to protect him as he looked so weak.
She led him into the house and gave him a bowl of white rice to eat. She watched him as he sat down in one corner of the kitchen, he also thanked the woman for the food. By looking at him, you can clearly see that he had not eaten anything for a long while.
Once again the little boy asked if she could take him in for good, but seeing her lowly status in the family, her husband and his family would never accept her decision. Aside from that, she already has three daughters to care for, adopting another child was not an option. The woman told him what he wants is not possible.
Instead she let him stay in the house for a few more days, But when her in-laws and husband discovered that she was secretly harboring the child, they threw him out of the house immediately.
She gave him the nickname, ‘dumpling’ because of the faint dimples he had in his cheeks when he smiled. The woman searched the house for old cotton jackets which her daughters had overgrown and gave them to the poor child. She also packed some foods in hopes that he could have something to eat even for a few days.
Since the day they turned the boy out of the house, her conscience could not rest at ease. For her, she felt as if it was a sin to throw a child out into the cold. All she can do is to pray for mercy to the child.
After twenty years, her husband and in-laws have passed away and her three daughters have all gotten married and moved out of the house to live in the city with their new families.
She was left alone in the house that caused her so much pain throughout the years. Not to mention her body, which is slowly getting worse as age deteriorates with time.
Every day seems to bring a new ache or pain, her children seem to have forgotten about their mother. Their visits have become less and less frequent, and at this point, she would be lucky to get to see them once a year. The woman often asks herself what has she done wrong do to suffer this kind of life.
Until one day, she heard the doorbell rang, but since she was not expecting anyone. The woman was surprised to see a tall, young man in the doorway. He smiled at her and recalled the time when she let a child in.
She was shocked when she realized that this young man was ‘dumpling’ child from years ago.
Based on his story, a reporter had found him a few days after he came to the woman’s house and helped him find his parents. He also said that he wanted to come to visit sooner, but could not find her house back then.
After learning about her current situation, the man got up and with a determined expression, he said:
“Come stay with me and my wife. You took me in when I nearly died, I owe my life to you. Now I can finally return the favor and look after you.”
The woman could not believe what she was hearing, but the man was serious and he would not leave until she says yes and comes with him.
Though it’s funny how fate works in mysterious ways sometimes. However, she is indeed thankful for God’s arrangement and would not need to be alone anymore.
source: goodtimes