Michael Gruber stood on his front porch, waiting for the delivery man to bring him the morning paper.
He sighed as he glanced at his watch, impatient to read the paper, and to his relief, he saw the man on the street only seconds later.
«Good morning, Mr. Gruber, I hope I’m not late!» she exclaimed as she stopped near Michael’s house and threw a newspaper into his yard.
Then she went to the neighbor’s house, an older woman named Ada, and repeated the process. A while later, Michael walked over, picked up the newspaper, and went to drop it right at the door.
Ada was an 88-year-old widow who lived alone. Her husband and son had been dead in an automobile accident several years ago, and she had no other family. Michael was a kind man who appreciated helping his neighbors, especially her.
Every morning, he would carry the newspaper to her front door after she complained about how her knees bothered her every time she had to pick it up.
«You see, honey,» she said. «I’ve seen enough of this life. I hope that when God decides to call me home, I’ll die in peace in my sleep. I don’t want to suffer anymore.»
Ada’s words touched the heart of Michael, who always went out of his way to help her. With winter setting in, he would clean the front of her house and often invite her over for tea or hot broth.
In response, the old woman would smile sweetly at him.
«If my son were here today, he would take care of me like you do. You have a loving heart. One day, I will return such kindness,» she told her one afternoon.
Michael laughed and replied:
«I don’t need anything, Ada! I’m not doing this to get something from you; I’m doing it because I really like helping you…».
That day, Michael, as usual, walked to Ada’s house to leave the day’s newspaper on her doorstep. But when he got to the front porch, he noticed that the previous day’s newspapers were there, untouched. He thought that was strange.
«Where could she be?» he wondered. He realized he hadn’t seen Ada recently. But then he noticed that the lights in her house were on and her clothes were still drying in the backyard.
Concerned, he knocked on her door and called out to her.
«Ada, are you all right, please open the door, it’s me, Michael!».
But there was no answer.
The door to the backyard was also locked, so Michael knew there was only one option left. He called the emergency number for help.
After a couple of minutes, a team of officers appeared and opened the door. As they entered the living room, Michael saw a hand sticking out from behind the couch. He ran to the couch, only to find Ada pale and unconscious.
«Ada! Somebody call the paramedics, she’s unconscious!» he yelled.
The elderly woman was transported to the hospital and was admitted to the emergency room immediately. Michael did not leave her side. A doctor informed him that Ada had collapsed from dehydration and fatigue.
«It will take her a while to recover, but she’ll be fine. In a way, you saved her life. The repercussions could have been severe if you took any longer to bring her in,» the doctor said.
Later that day, when Michael went to see Ada, she kept thanking him.
«Thank you so much! If you hadn’t shown up, I would have died and no one would have known. Thank you for saving me!» she said weakly.
«What happened, Ada, why didn’t you inform me that you weren’t feeling well?» Michael asked, concerned.
«I was just about to,» she said quietly. «I was going to call you, but then everything went black, and when I woke up, you were here. God sent you to help me. Don’t worry. ; this old woman isn’t going to leave you so soon…» she added, smiling faintly.
«You’re not taking good care of yourself, Ada!» he said in a worried tone. «After discharge, you’ll stay with my family until you’re completely well! Okay?».
At that point, Ada had tears in her eyes.
«I’m not sure what I did to deserve a neighbor like you, Michael. Thank you so much, sweetheart. Thank you so much…»
Michael did what he had promised. He took Ada home after she was discharged. His wife, Estela, and his children, Raul and Jessica, loved her and she soon became family to them.
Ada gave Estela her old cookbook with beautiful recipes and the apple pie she prepared following her directions was the highlight of their dinner one day.
What was at first thought to be a temporary stay extended for a little over a year. Everyone felt good together.
And the day came when the old lady died. Michael and Estela took care of her funeral arrangements and upon returning home, without Ada’s laughter and presence, everything felt strangely empty.
After a while, Michael went to the guest room, where Ada had stayed, and wept as he looked around. Things had been so different when she was around, he thought.
Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to a letter on the bedside table. He recognized Ada’s handwriting at the top and opened the envelope to read it.
«Dear Michael
Thank you for becoming my family in recent times. I don’t know why I am writing this now, but I have a feeling I will be leaving soon. I know I will never be able to repay you for your kindness, but I have a humble gift for you that I hope you will not refuse.
I have not forgotten the promise I once made to you. Not that I can ever repay the love and care you and your family gave me, but I leave you my home and possessions. I have left my attorney’s contact information at the end.
I hope this helps you and your family. I will always be indebted to you for your kindness, Michael. Please give my love to your family. Ada.»
Michael couldn’t stop crying. He wiped his tears and went downstairs to show the letter to Estela. The couple was grateful to Ada, and with the inheritance they received, they opened a modest grocery store bearing her name.
