Till the end

On the stormy winter night someone walked past the gates of Welda Timothy. There was a knock on the door and she opened it. She looked around and there was no one. Then she heard a child crying. She glanced down and saw the most beautiful child wrapped in a towel, mewling some incoherent words. But it was the smile that won her heart.

Welda always wanted a child but god had other plans for her. She named the boy as Robert, in the memory of her late husband. She raised him as her own and never let him realize that he was an orphan. She played with him, laughed with him and taught him everything.

Robert was growing up to be a fine young lad. Tall and handsome he was. Welda made sure that he had a kind heart and gentle nature. She would say, "I know that you were at my doorstep for a reason. You were my angel. And angels have a gentle heart. And they always respect." It always made him laugh to think of it the way his mother told him. But he belived her anyway.

Welda took her last breath in her angel's arms. Robert was 25 when she died. She made him promise her that he will not fall back. That he will continue to prosper and show the world what a fine young man he was. She gave him a letter and asked him not to open it at that time

"You will open it when the time will come, not before," she said as she closed her eyes.

Robert kept the promise he made to his mother. He grew up to become a successful man and found a beautiful wife. They fell in love the first time they saw each other. A year after their first date they got married. They both wanted a baby. They made efforts for it but failed. They went to the doctors and found out that Robert was sterile. It crushed both of them. His wife Amanda would weep at nights. Sometimes he could find a tear or two in his eyes too. They thought that they were lost.

When Robert was sifting through the old documents he found a letter. It was his mother's letter. The one she gave him when she died. He took it and kept it safe. Every time he tried to open it his heart would shout, "Don't! Maybe it's not the time yet." He would keep it beneath his pillow every night he slept.

And then happened what he feared the most. His wife gave up on him. Left him for someone who can give her a child. He never blamed her. He was the one who was incapable. He always chalked it up to that. But nothing could dull the pain he felt. He was alone again, just like he was when he was left at Welda's doorsteps.

His mother's thought made him think about the letter. He went to his room and opened the it. It read...

" Robert dear,
If you are reading this then I assume that you are in the most dreadful state of mind. I know that I cannot help you now. I cannot hold you in my arms as you weep. Yes, you have to weep. You cannot keep the pain inside you. It will eat you up.

As for you, I have thanked god a thousand times for what he gave me. I was content with what I had before. But when you came into my life, my life was complete. The way you smiled at me, made me realize how little I had. And you, my baby boy was going to be my precious gift.

I am so proud, for the fine man you've become. You can't imagine how happy it would have made me to see you children. But here is what I need you to do. I know that I haven't done much for you, but I do know that something I did had made a difference in your life. And that makes me happy.

There is nothing more beautiful than to see your young one to grow up in front of your eyes. I wish that I would have found another angel like you. Angels are a gift and I want you to know how it feels to have an angel as a gift. So, I want you adopt a child and make his or her life a better one. I always wanted a girl, so it would be nice of you if it were a girl. I want you to keep her, love her and protect her. Give her life a meaning. Make a difference in her life. Tell her about me. How I rubbed your nose when you were little. Help me be remembered. And I want you to love your angel 'till the end'.

Your mother
Wenda "

A single tear rolled down his eyes as folded the letter back. And it took moments before broke down.

Next day he found himself surrounded by babies in the orphanage. All crying and mewling. He was scanning though the babies lying in their cradle when he saw a girl. A little baby playing with a small toy in her hand. She was small and had a whisp of golden blonde hair. But the smile reminded him of his mother. He picked up the girl and whispered in her ear.

"Till the end."




A Story by Avinash Kumar Verma
India.