“Dwayne and his mother were happy despite being poor, but things changed when she became sick and needed an operation. To raise money, Dwayne attempted to rob a mansion, but he was surprised to find a man tied up in the bedroom.
You won’t believe what he did next. Dwayne never had anything easy in life. From when he was a baby, it had always been him and his mother, Charity. His father was never in the picture as he had passed away from an illness a few months before Dwayne was born.
Dwayne and his mother lived in the suburbs of the city. Dwayne attended the local school, while Charity worked as a bookkeeper in the local library. Charity’s salary wasn’t enough to see them through the month, so they lived from hand to mouth.
They didn’t have enough, but Charity made sure Dwayne knew he was always loved. She set aside time so they could spend it together. They would take walks in the parks on weekends, visit the local zoo, and have as much fun as they could. Although they sometimes went to bed without a meal, they were content and happy.
Little did they know that things were about to change for the worse. A few weeks after Dwayne’s 16th birthday, Charity suddenly fell sick. It started with a slight headache. She took some painkillers and ignored it, believing it would go away. She was wrong because she soon started feeling feverish, and the headache worsened.
That was when she knew something was wrong. She took a test at the local hospital, and when the results came out, she was shocked. Charity was seriously ill. It was so bad that if left unchecked, it could take her life. That same day, she was admitted to the hospital and given drugs that would immediately begin to fight the illness.
Dwayne was distraught when he heard the news. Whenever he paid a visit to the hospital, he could barely contain his tears. As the days passed by, Charity began to lose so much weight, and she was almost unrecognizable.
The fourth time he went to the hospital, Dwayne learned that his mother was scheduled to have an operation. But if the fees weren’t paid beforehand, the operation wouldn’t be able to commence. Moreover, if the operation was put off for too long, the illness could become terminal.
Dwayne was in a fix. He knew his mother had no savings, so where would he get the money to pay for the surgery? Still, he knew that time was up yesterday, so he left the hospital, promising to find the money. He went about looking for a job, but no one was looking to hire him because he was a minor.
Even when he explained his predicament to them, they refused to accept him. He resorted to doing odd jobs instead and getting wages. He walked dogs and ran errands for his neighbors in the community.
They paid him the moment the job was done, and he took it to the hospital at once. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the surgery, and it was put towards buying more drugs. No matter how the little boy tried, he made only a little money. Soon, he began to lose faith, knowing he wouldn’t be able to save his mom.
One day, while he was walking a Labrador through the park, he overheard two young men talking. ‘I heard there’s no one in the Lawrence Mansion,’ one of them said. Dwayne knew that name very well.
The Lawrences were the richest family in the community, so rich that all their children were based abroad, and only the father lived here. Every year, he went on a trip to all the countries his children lived in, and when he was there, the Mansion stood empty.
One of the young men talked about how it was ample time to break into the house and steal something. There were rumors that the house was filled with expensive jewelry that could fetch a lot of money.
Dwayne took time to process this information as he returned the dog to its owner. What if he managed to break in, he wondered? He would only take a few pieces of jewelry, and he was sure it would cover the cost of his mom’s surgery.
Oh God, what if he got caught? How would he even break in, he thought. Later that evening, he went to check on his mother at the hospital. Her situation was even worse, and the doctor told him that if nothing was done within the shortest possible time, all hope would be lost.
There and then, Dwayne made his choice. He would break into the Lawrence mansion that night. He took his mother’s flashlight and made his way to the mansion. The building was engulfed in darkness because no one was around.
He looked around to make sure no one was watching him, and then he made his way to the gates. They were unlocked. He wondered why that was so. As he walked down the driveway towards the front door, the place was very quiet, making him extremely scared.
Goosebumps rippled across his skin when the cold night air blew against his tiny body. Still, he didn’t turn back. As he got closer to the door, he picked up a stone that he would use to break his way in.
When he got to the door, he raised his hand to break the glass. However, he stopped when he noticed a crack between the door jamb and the frame. He gently took the knob and pushed it. To his greatest shock, the door came open.
Why was the door open, he wondered, as he stepped into the house. Who would travel out of the country without locking their front door? Anyway, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on why he was there.
He shined the flashlight around, and he saw nothing that could be of value. He needed jewelry, and he knew that wouldn’t be in the living room. So, he made his way to the bedroom. With his heart pounding, he approached the bedroom door and pushed it open.
The flashlight illuminated the room as it swept across the closet, dusty desk and chair, drawn curtains, and finally, the bed. It was there that he saw something that resembled a person. Filled with shock, the flashlight immediately fell out of his hand. ‘Oh my God, that’s a man. Is he dead?’ he gasped.
Before he could do anything, the man turned and faced him. He recognized the face at once. It was Laurent. ‘Please,’ the old man croaked, ‘help me.’ Filled with compassion, Dwayne ran towards the man and took a good look at him.
He looked pretty exhausted and hungry, and even worse, he was chained to the bed. It dawned on the young boy then that Laurent never traveled. He had always been in the house. So, who on Earth would chain up an old man?
Water Lawrence spoke up again. Dwayne immediately ran to the kitchen and got him clean water, and the old man gulped down everything. Afterward, he turned on the light in the room and removed the chains binding the old man.
Now that he was free, the old man, filled with emotions, hugged Dwayne and told him how he ended up being chained to the bed. You see, his children had abandoned him. They were living good lives abroad and didn’t want to be bothered by him.
So, they hired someone to take care of him. Unfortunately,that person was a thief. He would come to the house every day and cart away valuables. When it was time to leave in the evening, he would chain the old man to the bed. He hadn’t been to the house in five days, and the old man had been without food. So, if Dwayne hadn’t broken into the mansion, Laurent would have died for sure.
When the old man was done, he asked Dwayne why such a good kid like him was trying to steal, and Dwayne confessed. He told Laurent about his mother’s illness and their need for money.
The old man took pity on the young boy and pointed at a safe close to the bed. He told him the pin and instructed him to take the amount that would solve all of his mother’s problems. The safe was filled with lots of money and jewelry, but Dwayne took only what he needed. He was very happy that his mother would finally get the operation, and he thanked Laurent profusely.
The old man told him that when everything was over, he and his mother should come to see him. Dwayne promised that they would. Before leaving, he called for an ambulance so Laurent could be taken to the hospital and looked after. Dwayne took the money to the hospital and paid for the operation.
Two days later, the doctors successfully carried out the much-needed surgery. Within a week, Charity recovered fully, and the following day, she was discharged. Two days after leaving the hospital, Dwayne and his mother visited Laurent at home. The old man had received proper care and had recovered rapidly.
To express his gratitude, the old man offered Charity a job as his caregiver, and she happily agreed to work for him. What’s more, he also asked Dwayne and his mother to move into the mansion and live with him.
Laurent also promised to take charge of Dwayne’s schooling. Charity and her son couldn’t believe their lucky years, and they screamed for joy. In a twinkling of an eye, as it seemed, their lives changed for the better. All it took was one simple act of kindness.
