The expensive gifts she had given an old friend were found at a garage sale just outside her home by a young woman. After hearing the heartbreaking voice, she called him to ask what was wrong.
Alina Matt, a nurse aged 25, was returning home after she received a board inscribed with her name. “Garage Sale”She noticed a sign near her home.
“That vintage pocket watch? It looks like the one I gave Mr. Rubin last year. Why is Mrs. Percy taking it?”She exclaimed in shock. Alina was baffled by the thought of such a precious gift in someone else’s possession. She walked closer to find it.
“I don’t believe this. These belong to Mr. Rubin. Why are they lying outside? These are some of the costly gifts I gave him!”
Alina wanted to know why Sam Rubin, her neighbor and old friend, had sold her expensive gifts at a garage sale.
Alina discovered her gift to her friend from a garage sale while on her way back.Source: Pexels | Source: Pexels
Alina’s parents were from abroad so she visited Sam Rubin (her 80-year old neighbor) often as she felt a fatherly presence when she was around him. The two became close pals and shared many sweet stories of Sam’s life with Emma, his beloved late wife.
“Look at what my sons did to me. I can’t stop crying.”
During this time, she took care of her elderly friend and even purchased many things that he couldn’t travel because he was too sick to buy them.
Alina purchased Sam lovely gifts every time she returned from a vacation. Sam was her father.
Alina considered old Sam the same as her father.Source: Unsplash | Source: Unsplash
“Ah, this painting. It is beautiful,”Sam exclaimed after Alina gifted him a Paris portrait. “But the classic timepiece has won my heart!”
Sam felt loved and cared for by the nurse whenever she had the chance.
Alina was shocked to learn that Sam’s sons were not caring for him well. They barely even checked on him.
Alina and Sam became besties, and Alina visited Sam every day. His house was almost like a museum of vintage objects.
While everything was fine between the two close friends, Alina needed to be more productive. She was transferred to another state for nursing and had to say goodbye to her best friend.
“How long will it take?”A sad Sam asked Alina.
“Not long. Just a month, I suppose. I’ll be back soon and get you the showpiece you wanted.”
Alina left Sam to go on her service trip. She had high hopes of seeing Sam again. A month later, Alina returned home to her neighborhood to find a strange sight.
Although everything was fine, Alina left abruptly for a trip and promised Sam she would be back soon. Source: Pexels | Source: Pexels
“Wh-What’s going on? Why is Mr. Rubin’s lawn a mess?”She screamed when she saw the items scattered outside of his home.
“Mrs. Percy. Wait…where are you taking the vintage pocket watch?”
Alina was stunned when Mrs. Percy drove off with the timepiece, despite being hard-of-hearing.
“Where is Mr. Rubin? And these items? These paintings are expensive. What’s happening? Where is he?”
Alina was anxious. Sam was anxious. Alina ran into Sam’s home and saw his valuable art collection. He had no paintings and his home was clean.
“Where is Mr. Rubin? What happened to him?”
The nurse was worried. The nurse was concerned because she knew that the man had health problems and that she didn’t want to see him.
“I ask you to stop this and tell me where Mr. Rubin is! Or I’m calling the cops!”
Alina was worried after Sam disappeared from her house.Source: Unsplash | Source: Unsplash
A man, who was busy organizing the items, approached Alina and said that the old man would never come back.
“What do you mean he won’t return? What happened to him?” Alina exclaimed. “Where is he?”
“I don’t know, but we were asked to sell these old items.”
Alina was anxious. Sam was not available to call her. A neighbor came up to her and gave her some paper with a number.
“You will find out after calling this number. Please reach out before it’s too late.”
“But whose number is this?”Alina asked. Alina was baffled when the man left her alone.
Alina found Sam’s belongings & her gifts to him in the garage sale. | Source: Pixabay
Alina ran to her neighbor’s house and dialed the number.
“Hello. I’m Alina, and I want to talk to Mr. Sam Rubin. Is he there?”
“Yes, one moment,”The woman who answered was adamant. “Please bring Mr. Rubin. He has a call from someone called Alina.”
Alina called her old friend just moments later.
“Hello, sweetheart…I’m glad you came back.”
“Mr. Rubin? Are you alright? What is happening here?”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wanted to call you, but my sons took my phone away. I lost your number and hoped you would call me one day.”
“That’s fine. But can you please tell me why you’re selling all items in your house? And my gifts? Why are you giving them away?”
The old man started to weep after a few moments of silence. Alina became emotional when she saw her dear friend weep for the first times since she had known him.
“My sons…They told me they were taking me for a vacation and left me in a nursing facility out of town …And they said they would renovate my house, but when I asked to return home after, they said it was now theirs and kicked me out.”
Sam’s children had kicked Sam out of his home.Source: Unsplash | Source: Unsplash
Alina now knows the entire picture. Sam’s children had tricked him into thinking they could take his only memory of his wife, the house where they once lived happily.
“I’ll call you back. Don’t worry.”
The nurse was furious and decided to help her friend.
“I’m buying everything. Not a pin leaves this place…Stop, right now,”She demanded that every item be purchased at the garage sale. She ran to the woman who took Sam’s vintage pocket watch.
“Mrs. Percy. Please return that vintage timepiece you bought from the garage sale outside Mr. Rubin’s house. It was sold by mistake.”
“Oh, dear! But I wanted that. It was cheap.”
Alina managed to convince the woman to return the timepiece. Alina didn’t stop there. She wanted to help her old friend go back to his house.
Alina took the vintage timepiece back from the buyer.Source: Unsplash | Source: Unsplash
A week later, Alina drove to Sam’s nursing home.
“Darling! I am so glad to see you,”Sam wept. “Look at what my sons did to me. I can’t stop crying!”
Alina gave a pat to her friend while signing a few papers, as he watched in confusion.
“Come, let’s go!”She said.
“But where? My sons took my house away.”
“You’ll know in a while…Please come with me.”
Alina pulled up outside Sam’s home shortly after. Alina pulled over in front of Sam’s house, and he was overwhelmed by the sight. He looked at her confused.
“B-But my sons? Where are they? They told me not to come here again.”
Alina, who was teary eyed, held Sam by the hand and led Sam into his home.
“This is unbelievable!”Sam wept when he saw his house back to its former glory. Everything was restored to its original state, even Sam’s armchair near the window.
“How did you do this? Did my sons agree?”
Sam couldn’t believe his eyes when his beloved home was returned to him. Source: Pexels | Source: Pexels
Alina looked at him in disbelief. Sam was still a skeptic, and she felt sorry for him.
“Well, I hired a lawyer for you to fight your sons and retrieve your precious house. They disagreed until my lawyer threatened them with legal action for kicking you out and scamming you.”
Sam was touched by the friend’s efforts in putting a smile on his face, even though his sons had abandoned him.
“Your house is all yours now! And Mr. Rubin, I got this Buddha showpiece for you. I am sure it will add more peace to your house!”
Alina began visiting her old friend from that day and making sure he was comfortable and had all the love and support he needed to age gracefully.
Sam didn’t regret having his sons around him. In secret, he had decided to make Alina, his friend, the legal heir to his beloved house.Source: Pexels
Alina restored Sam’s hope & he never regretted not having his sons by his side. | Source: Pexels
What can we learn from this tale?
- Don’t pass up the chance to help others. Alina discovered that Sam Rubin’s children had tricked her and taken her house. She fought them legal. She took the house and all its possessions back to restore the peace that had been taken from Sam Rubin.
- Respect your elders, regardless of their age. Sam Rubin was Alina’s father figure. He was her father and she enjoyed spending time with him. When he needed assistance, it was a huge difference in how she treated him.
Click here to see how a sweet little girl took a homeless man by the hand and brought him to her home to live with her.
The story was inspired by everyday life of our readers. It was written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to real names or actual locations is only coincidental. Images are used only for illustration. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.