Homeless Man Patches Roof for Old Lady Neglected by Son, She Makes His Childhood Dream in Return — Story of the Day

Man climbing up a ladder. | Shutterstock

A man who had a difficult childhood ended up homeless because of a medical issue. He helped an elderly lady with her roof leakage one day and she listened to the heartbreaking story. The old lady revealed to him a wonderful surprise that made his dreams become a reality.

Mike was 29 when he suffered a heart attack. This was the cherry on top to a hard life. After the death of his mother at eight years old, his childhood was not a happy one. His father also fell into bad habits. The financial situation became so dire that Mike lost the saxophone that his mother gave him many years ago. Mike was placed in foster care after he succumbed to the fire at their home.

He began to work in construction after he turned 65 with the goal of repurchasing his father’s instrument. Mike saved for years to realize his dream, and the man lived in their old neighborhood. But the neighbor took Mike’s money, and he disappeared without speaking to anyone. Mike was shocked when he didn’t hear from him again.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

He was not defeated. In fact, he was more motivated than ever to save up for a new saxophone and get gigs playing jazz for others. He was a hard worker in construction, taking on the most strenuous and dangerous jobs.

“Child, I see that you’ve had a bunch of bad luck, but I also believe that it’s about to change,”Miriam started.

He suffered a heart attack and was forced to stay in bed for several weeks. He lost his job and finally his apartment. He was homeless and ended up jumping from shelter to shelter, sometimes staying for a night in a motel. Although he was too weak for construction, he was able to find work as a dishwasher in local L.A. restaurants.

Mike stumbled upon a small neighborhood after it started to rain. He wandered around hoping to find shelter under a porch, and then waited for the rains to stop.

Then suddenly, an elderly woman opened her door and she called. “Young man! Young man!”She called, waving her hand forcefully. Mike didn’t know what she wanted. But maybe she would ask him for shelter.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

“Good evening, ma’am,”He said that he was going to get under her awning to wipe the raindrops off his face.

“Young man, what are you doing out there in this kind of weather?”She asked her, while crossing her arms to protect herself.

“I don’t have anywhere to go,”Mike shrugged and answered.

“Oh, well. Do you know anything about patching roofs?”The older lady asked factually.

“Actually, yes,”He replied with a sheepish smile.

“Good, because my house is basically flooding right now. Can you help me?”She continued to point inside her house. Mike leaned in to check the doorway and was right. Her roof had several leaks.

“Oh my, ma’am. This is bad. Do you have tools and materials I can work with?”Because it was not easy to fix these leaks, he wondered.

“I’m not sure… My son… he used to fix my stuff at my old house… but when he sold it and stuck me here, he didn’t bother anymore,”The elderly woman said this as she wrapped her arms around her body once more. “But there might be some things in the garage. Let’s take a look.”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

Mike was interested in her words. He thought that even if his mother had died, he wouldn’t allow her to live like this. He would at the very minimum make sure her roof was in good shape. He followed her, and found many useful items in her garage.

“I’m Miriam, by the way,”He grabbed the things he needed, she said. “There’s also a ladder over there.”

“I’m Mike, ma’am. I see that. I’ll get to work right away,”He nodded.

“Even with the rain?”Surprised by his quick agreement to help, she asked.

“Yes.”

“Ok, I’ll fix you something for dinner and some hot chocolate, and I think I have some men’s clothes still for when you’re done,”Miriam smiled as she went into the house.

Mike tried his best to reach the roof and get work done as the rain got worse. It was more difficult than he remembers before his heart attack. He was almost exhausted after finishing one section of the path. He persevered, determined to prove himself and protect the house of this woman.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

Miriam was using a floor squeegee for water extraction to dry her house after he was done. Mike grabbed the squeegee and told Miriam that he would dry other areas of her home. As the rain got worse, they continued to work for a while. They managed to dry her most important things and her roof stopped leaking.

Miriam gave the clothes Miriam had just found to him and pushed him into the hot shower. In so many years, he hadn’t used hot water. It was an absolute pleasure. He relaxed as long as he could and then he was out in no time.

“Child, come to the table. Let’s eat. I hope you like homemade lasagna,”Miriam exclaimed as she removed a Pyrex form her oven and the wonderful aroma of meat and tomatoes hit her nose.

“Oh, ma’am. That sounds like a dream come true,”He said this while rubbing his fingers and sitting at the dining table.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, so eat as much as you want. I have some Jell-O in the fridge for dessert too,”She smiled at him and revealed her thoughts. Mike ate the food and was taken back to his childhood memories when his mother made it for him.

“Ma’am, tell me more about your son. I didn’t get what you said earlier,”Mike encouraged and the older lady sighed deeply.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

“Well, it’s a long story,”She began by telling Mike about her child, whom she had raised after her husband’s death. To get by, she worked at several jobs. Years later, when her husband wanted to start his own business, she sold her home to make the funds. She now lives in this old home, which needed extensive repairs. “He promised he would get it fixed, but nothing. I actually called him when it started to rain earlier, but he said he was busy and hung up. That’s when I saw you and thought I should ask for help.”

“Well, I’m glad I was here to help, and this food is more than enough payment. But thank you too because I would’ve been stranded in the rain if you haven’t called me in,”Mike said, and reached for another piece of lasagna.

“Tell me about yourself. You said you have nowhere to go. What do you mean?”Miriam was curious about Miriam’s ingenious way of eating her food.

“That’s an even longer story, ma’am,”He smiled, but then he told her everything about his difficult childhood and current life situation. “But it’ll get better. I just proved to myself that I can work hard, so I might be able to go into construction and finally make my dreams come true.”

“What are your dreams?”

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

“I want to get a saxophone. I was pretty good at it as a kid, but my dad had to sell mine,”He answered, and told her his old scamming neighbor.

“Child, I see that you’ve had a bunch of bad luck, but I also believe that it’s about to change,”Miriam started, and her smile made him frown quizzically.

“Why?”

“My dear late husband was a music teacher… a saxophone teacher, and I have several of his instrument still here,”Miriam shared the news, while Mike also dropped his lasagna fork.

“No…,”He exhaled, shaking his head.

“Yes, I do. So, eat up, and we’ll see what you can do after dinner,”The older woman was the one to instruct.

Miriam bought one of her old saxophones after they had cleared the table. Mike took the saxophone in his arms reverently. It was almost as if it were impossible to believe he was holding this instrument in his hands. He held it up to his lips, and he played one of the songs he had learned from childhood.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

Miriam sat down, listening to what he could do, and grinning throughout. “Well, child. You do have skills. My husband would’ve loved to teach you. But I have some of his old music books. You can have them and the saxophone too.”

“I couldn’t. It’s too much,”Mike shook his head.

“You did more for me than my son has done in years. For the first time in a long while, I don’t feel so neglected, so please, take it. Become better at it, and maybe, it will help get your life in order. Sometimes, all you need is one little thing or a moment that turns things around for the better. I hope this saxophone and this moment right now does that for you,”Miriam spoke to Mike with wisdom, and Mike felt filled with hope.

He was also offered a bed on the couch by the elderly woman because it was pouring down. The next day, he left to call his construction boss. He was hired part-time after they found a new opening. He was able to work as hard as ever so they promoted him to full time.

He would sit on the streets at night and tip the saxophone player, leaving a tip hat on the ground. As his talent improved, the tips increased and he soon played covers of popular songs that people loved.

For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels

Only for illustration purposes. Source: Pexels| Source: Pexels

He was able to find a small apartment with his steady job and the side gig as a musician and gradually saved enough money to replace Miriam’s roof. His boss gave him a discount and his friends worked for a lower rate after hearing his story.

The touch was felt by the older woman. “From now on, you can think of me as a mother, Mikey, dear,”He was told by her, and she kissed his cheek after the roof was closed.

Mike nodded and continued to hold his tears until he returned home. There, he sobbed his pain and marvelled at his new found beauty. He wouldn’t take Miriam or the gift she gave him for granted.

What can we take away from this story?

  • It will return to you if you are as kind as possible. Mike helped Miriam with her roof repair in the rain, expecting nothing in return. He was rewarded with a gift that he will treasure for ever.
  • Never stop dreaming, never stop working for your goals. Mike dreamed of owning a saxophone, despite his hardships. It was more than he could have ever imagined when he finally realized his dream.

Tell your friends about this story. It may brighten their day or inspire them.

You might enjoy this story about a homeless person who helped an elderly woman carry her groceries home. He later found out that the owner of the store was looking for him.

This piece was inspired by stories from our readers’ daily lives and is written by a professional author. Any resemblance with actual names or locations is just coincidental. Illustrations are provided for illustration purposes only. Send us your story. You might make a difference in someone’s life. Please send us your story to [email protected].

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