Rick was a seven-year-old boy who liked to play outside with his friends. They lived in a small rural town where small cottages stood along the farms where their parents worked.
Farther down the road, where they all lived, stood an old mansion covered in greenery. There were many trees growing next to the mansion. So Rick and his friends liked to spend time there, climbing the trees and picking fruit.
Before entering the mansion, one had to climb the cement stairs to get to the front door. Its sides were beautifully decorated with bright flowers and fresh greenery, making it look like a shot from a Hollywood sci-fi movie.
«I heard an old lady lived there,» one of Rick’s friends once said, watching the house from a distance.
«I hear she’s a witch!» added another of his friends.
From that day on, they keep a close eye on the mansion, hoping not to run into the «witch» who is supposed to live there. One day, however, Rick hears a loud cough coming from outside the mansion.
«Maybe it’s that old lady?» he said, running out from under the trees to see who it was. His friends followed him, curious about the sound they had just heard.
When they saw that it was an old lady, the boys were frightened. She was coughing and barely breathing as she climbed the stairs to the mansion.
Rick decided to help the old woman after he realized she was not well.
«What are you doing?» — His friends shout to him. «Don’t touch her!»
Rick refused to listen to his friends and ran to the old lady’s aid.
«Hello, ma’am. Can I help you up the stairs?» — he asks her.
The old lady smiled.
«Thank you, my boy. I would be very grateful.»
The old lady squeezed Rick’s hand as they climbed the stairs. She said that she had tried to go to the grocery store to buy a few things, but she didn’t have the energy to continue.
«I had no idea it would be such a long walk,» she admitted.
Rick felt sorry for the old woman, not only because she was in trouble, but because he and his friends were afraid of her.
«I’ve never seen anyone come out of the mansion before. So I was surprised when I heard you coughing. My friends and I are climbing trees near your house,» Rick shared. «My name is Rick,» he added.
«Well, Rick. I’m glad you heard me today, because I don’t know how I could have climbed those stairs alone. My name is Allison,» the old lady replied.
As they climbed the stairs, Allison was relieved.
«I’m getting old,» she said. «Come on in. I’ll get you some milk and cookies,» she offered Rick, who happily agreed.
Rick was surprised at the size of Allison’s house. She had a fireplace next to the front staircase leading to the second floor.
«I’ve never seen such a big house,» he said in amazement.
«Where do you live, Rick? » Allison asked the boy, heading for the kitchen.
«I live in one of the cottages on the neighboring farm. All I have left is my mother. When I saw you struggling to get up the stairs, I remembered my grandmother,» the boy admitted.
Allison smiled, handing Rick a plate of hot cookies and a glass of hot milk.
«You’re a good boy. I’m sure your grandmother loved you very much.»
After eating some cookies, Rick looked around the room and noticed that no one else seemed to live in the house but Allison.
«Do you live alone, Allison? Where are your children?» he asked.
«I had a housekeeper who came in every day because I have heart problems and have trouble getting around. She quit this week because she moved to another state. I haven’t been able to find a replacement for her yet, which is why I have to do things myself,» she explained.
«You see, I never had children. I loved my husband very much. And when he decided he didn’t want to have children so he could focus on his business empire, I gladly agreed,» she said, taking a cookie from Rick’s plate .
Rick felt sorry for Allison. She was a 91-year-old woman who lived alone with no one to take care of her. He wanted to help her.
«I can be your guide. When you need to go to the grocery store, I can walk you there and back. Is that okay with you?» — he asked the older lady, who couldn’t hold back a smile.
«I’d like that, kid. Thanks for offering. You’re so sweet!» she said, hugging Rick.
Rick and Allison agreed to go grocery shopping together every Friday. Rick picked Allison up from the house and walked her up the stairs. They called a cab, drove to the grocery store, and came back together.
Once they were done shopping, they were on their way home in another cab, and Rick carried the groceries up the stairs, leading Allison.
«I’m so glad I met you, Rick. You were sent from heaven,» Allison told him.
Rick and Allison continued shopping for months until one day Allison walked out of the house. The door was locked, and no one came over to open the door.
Rick got worried and started to get nervous.
«What if something bad happened to him? » he thought.
He waited outside the door in case Allison showed up. However, hours went by and still no one came out. Then a tinted black car drove onto the property. He rushed up the stairs, thinking it was Allison.
To his surprise, inside the car was a man in a business suit with his mother.
«Mom? What are you doing here?» — he asked her.
«It’s for the old lady,» she replied. «Come on, get in the car. We have somewhere to go.»
Rick’s heart began to pound hard and his stomach began to twist.
«What happened to her, Mom? Is she all right?» he asked.
» You’ll see soon, honey,» she answered quietly.
They were driven to the lawyer’s office. There Rick saw Allison.
«I was so afraid something had happened to you, Allison,» he said, running up to her and hugging her tightly.
«I’m sorry I scared you, Rick. You see, I was at your mother’s today. — Told Allison.
«I asked your mother to pick you up and along with my lawyer to come down son so I could meet all of you here. We’re here because I wanted to thank you, Rick. Thank you for sharing your pure and kind heart with me. Kids can be so cruel, and yet here you are, proof that good people still exist in the world,» she added.
Afterward, her lawyer reported that she wanted to bequeath her $1.8 million mansion to Rick. That was hard for Rick and his mother to believe.
«If you don’t mind, I have nowhere else to stay, so will I be able to continue living with you.»
Rick shook his head.
«Don’t say that, Allison. You’ll live many more years. My mother and I will take care of you. We’re your family,» he said, hugging her.
Allison lived to be 103 years old. She made the most of her years by spending special time with Rick and her mother, Lisa, who took care of her and showered her with love.
