alberto! Dinner is ready!” Albert’s grandmother called from the dining room table.
The 14-year-old boy was sitting in his room, thinking about his late father. He had just turned nine when his mother told him that his father was gone. His horror-filled eyes were still fresh in her memory, and she couldn’t forget how her mother burst into tears after seeing her father’s unconscious body.
Albert’s father was coming home from work when a car accident claimed his life. The little boy didn’t even get to say goodbye to the man he considered his hero. He was heartbroken after his father’s death and was unable to recover from his painful loss even five years later.
The teenager lived with his mother and grandmother, the two women in his life who did everything they could to comfort him. They always told him that his father was smiling down on him, but Albert believed that nothing could make him feel better.
“I miss you so much, dad!” Albert yelled, holding his father’s photo in his hands. The boy was willing to do anything to hug his father one last time and tell him how much he loved him.
One day, Albert was at school when his teacher asked everyone to write about what they wanted to be in the future and they read their essay out loud. Albert and his classmates began to write, and once everyone was done, the teacher asked them to share it with the class individually.
When it was Albert’s turn, he was excited to tell everyone about his future profession, not knowing that his classmates would laugh at him.
“I want to be the next president of the school,” Albert read the first sentence of his essay and looked at his classmates. “After finishing university, I want to work as a lawyer like my father used to. He is my inspiration,” Albert continued.
Albert smiled after reading his essay, but his cheeks flushed red when he saw his classmates laugh. After class, the students taunted Albert and made fun of him because they knew his father had passed away.
“Do you want to become a lawyer like your father?” a student laughed. “But wasn’t he, like…poor or something? Careful what you wish for!”
“Albert as school president? What a joke!” another student made fun of Albert.
Everyone knew that Albert was shy, so they thought that he could not become the president of the school or a lawyer. They laughed at him during recess while Albert cried helplessly.
I shouldn’t have written the truth in my essay! Albert thought after returning home. He felt terrible after being humiliated by his classmates. Albert regretted sharing his aspirations with everyone.
Later that night, Albert told his mother and grandmother what had happened at school. “Why did they make fun of me, mom?” he asked his mother. “I just told you that my father is my biggest inspiration.”
“Oh honey. Don’t let other people’s words ruin your peace of mind,” his mother hugged him. “You don’t need to pay attention to what they say.”
“Yes, honey. Your mother is right,” added her grandmother. “People will say all kinds of things about you, but you know that nothing they say is true.”
Albert burst into tears and confessed that he missed his father. “Why did you leave us so soon? Why aren’t you here when I need you most?” I ask.
“Okay, Albert. I have an idea!” her mother exclaimed. “Why don’t you visit your father’s grave tomorrow and tell him how you feel?”
“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea!” Albert’s grandmother cheered.
The next day, Albert visited his father’s grave after school. He saw a present by the tombstone as he knelt in front of it. What is this? he wondered and picked it up.
“A present for my son on his 18th birthday,” read the message on top of the gift box. Albert quickly unwrapped the gift and was surprised to see a videotape inside. “Is this from dad?” he muttered to himself. “I’ll see him when I go home.”
Before going home, Albert sat by his father’s grave and told him how much he missed him every day. “I wish you were here dad. All my classmates bullied me because I told them I wanted to be like you,” the teen said.
“I wish you were alive so they could see that you are the best lawyer”, Albert wiped away his tears. “I don’t know why you left me, dad. I miss you so much!”
After arriving home, Albert inserted the videotape into the player. He thought it was strange that he received his 18th birthday present so early, but he didn’t mind having it and wanted to know what the video was about.
Once the video started, Albert couldn’t control his emotions. Tears rolled down her cheeks after seeing her father on the television screen.
“Hey young man! Happy 18th birthday!” his father said.
“I have a big surprise for you!”
In the video, Albert’s father said that his legal agency now belonged to Albert. “You are the bravest, smartest, brightest boy I have ever met,” said his father. “I think you can take care of my agency now.”
“Your father is right, Albert,” the teenager’s mother walked into the living room and hugged him. “Your grandmother and I decided that you should listen to your father’s message before you turn 18.”
“Thanks Mom!” Albert rested his head on her shoulder.
“I knew your father’s words would make you feel better,” Albert’s mother smiled.
That day, Albert realized that his father’s words and features would stay with him forever, even if he wasn’t there with him physically. After hearing his father’s message, the teenager felt confident and decided not to care what his classmates said.
With his newfound confidence, Albert became the school’s president three months later, leaving his classmates speechless. They didn’t expect him to speak with such confidence in front of the entire school.
Albert worked hard and graduated as a professional lawyer years later. He took over his father’s agency and soon became one of the best lawyers in the city.
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A son visits his mother’s grave regretting having spent little time together and finds a farewell letter. Click here to read the full story.