Lively 102-year-old Rose was looking forward to celebrating her birthday with her best friend Arthur when she discovered he had disappeared from their assisted living facility. With her last few savings, she left the facility and set off on her own to find him in another city, only to run out of money halfway through.
The wooden door creaked open, letting a glint of sunlight fall on the hunched body of 102-year-old Rose as she cautiously entered the grocery store. Rose stumbled through the aisles, using a wooden stick for support as customers streamed in and out.
With shaking hands, she grabbed a bottle of water and several assorted candies from the shelf, then staggered over to the cash register. “That would be $15, ma’am!” cried the cashier, Mr. Andrews, the shop owner, smiled and chirped as he looked down at Rose inquisitively.
“$15? That’s a lot. I don’t have that kind of money,” she said with a dejected expression. Rose realized she only had her last $5 as she dug into the depths of her faded floral purse for change. “I’ll just have the bottle of water, please,” she mumbled sadly, reaching for the cash register with pennies. She said, “Thank you, young man!” as she walked out of the store and sank onto a wooden seat outside. The smell of freshly baked croissants from the bakery next door wafted into Rose’s nostrils as she stared hungrily.
The smell grew stronger and Rose’s stomach grumbled violently, but she just sat there without turning to face the bakery. Mr. Andrews was ready to end the day when he came out of the shop at half past six in the snow, rubbing his palms together. His gaze fell on Rose, still sitting on the bench, shivering and alone as he ran to his car in the parking lot.
She had been sitting there for the past five hours, and when Mr. Andrews occasionally glanced at the glass wall of his shop, he at first paid her no attention. He believed that the grandmother was either waiting for someone or simply retreated to the bench to rest a little.
But when he saw Rose crying angrily, something disturbed him and he immediately approached her. Noticing Rose’s teary face, he felt obliged to ask what was bothering her.
“Is everything alright ma’am?” he asked, coming over to Rose.
A smile of compassion. “I saw you’ve been sitting here since the afternoon… It’s getting late and colder… Are you waiting for someone? Is there anything I can help you with?”
When Rose looked at Mr. Andrews, her eyes were swollen and red from crying. She took a deep breath as she turned to face the reality that she was
they remain stuck in the new city. Her eyes were always full of tears, which frightened Mr. Andrews even more.
He sat down next to Rose and asked in a worried tone, “Ma’am? Are you okay? Could you tell me why you’re crying?”
Grandma snorted and wiped away her tears. “I’ve lived through wars… I’ve seen the world change before my eyes… but now, at 102, I’ll find my beloved…” she said.
Mr. Andrews listened intently as a solemn silence settled around him. Rose clasped her hands tightly as she recounted the tragic event that rocked her world two days ago. “If only I could go back in time and never let them take him…”
It was a nice afternoon on Tuesday.
Rose arrived at the assisted living facility with her 102nd birthday cake and her favorite white tulips, her lips constantly calling out for Arthur! She was so excited!
“Arthur! Where are you? I have flowers and a cake… I can’t wait to blow out the candle and make a wish!” Rose said out loud. When her best friend disappeared, she became anxious.
Arthur, who is 96 years old, was waiting for her in his signature spot, which is a wooden bench on the terrace that faces the front gate.
Every time Rose came home after blood tests at the neighboring hospital, Arthur came to her with a bouquet of freshly picked flowers and waved like a little child. He performed this almost every day. However, Rose realized something was wrong that day as Arthur had disappeared and the seat looked strangely deserted.
Her heart pounded like a mixture of excitement and worry as she looked everywhere for her boyfriend in the garden. He liked to go for walks with her and spend quiet time on the lawn. But Rose was even more restless because Arthur was nowhere to be found in any of his favorite places.
She walked as fast as her legs would allow her toward the doctors, the knot in her gut growing. “Where is Arthur at the moment?
Her eyes begged for an answer, “Why isn’t he here? Haven’t you seen him?”
One of the doctors said, “Oh dear, Miss Rose… You didn’t know that?” with compassion. “A few hours ago the family came to get him while you were in the hospital… They took Arthur with them.
Rose asked startled, “Did she take him?” “What do you mean they took him?”
“Miss Rose…Arthur is no longer listed as a patient,” the doctor replied.
“We know it’s worrying. But Arthur is now in the care of his family. He’s not coming back.”
Rose felt a wave of anxiety wash over her until the floor shook beneath her feet. When he was all she had, how could they take her best friend away?
Where was his family during those long, painful years of illness and isolation when Rose was the only person to comfort him and hold his hand?
Rose quickly marched to her room where she spent most of her time with her beloved Arthur as she wanted to cry alone. With every step, it became hard for her and she was constantly reminded of her best friend and his infectious laugh around every corner.
Rose felt her heart break as all she saw around her was silence and loneliness.
The still air carried the aroma of newly picked lilies that Arthur had left in the vase for the last time. Next to the vase lay a worn recorder that continuously recorded their beloved song “Just the Two of Us” which they listened to every day.
Rose walked through the maze of her memories, tears welling up in her eyes. She carefully ran her weak fingers over the white flowers, thinking of all the times she could tell Arthur how she really felt when he was there.
Rose met Arthur in a nursing home a few years ago; she remained single all her life. While Rose never had the courage to tell Arthur how much she loved him, their friendship quickly developed into a secret love. But now it seemed like the end of the world without him.
Rose was crying uncontrollably and as she went to the table for a tissue, she saw a piece of paper held up by a red pen. Rose’s heart skipped a beat as she held up the card with the following message written in clumsy handwriting—it was Arthur’s favorite pen she had given him for his birthday last summer:
“I didn’t want to leave you, dear Rose.
However, no one told me that my family would come for me today.
Maybe we’ll run into each other later, but don’t hold your breath.
Send correspondence to this address:
Maple Avenue, Springfield, Virginia
7.”
Rose got nervous and said, “Oh dear… where is the rest of his address?” She looked at the message again and saw a thin trail of tears staining the last digits of Arthur’s house number.
Rose felt a thrill of desire and determination as she held the message close to her heart. Arthur’s feelings for her seemed to be written incoherently on paper. Rose knew something beautiful and unspoken had blossomed between them, though she wasn’t sure if he felt the same as she did.
“Meet you on the other side? Don’t hold your breath. What does he mean?” Rose said. She couldn’t accept their breakup because of the basic love and close relationship she had with her best friend.
Deep down, Rose understood that she couldn’t just let Arthur go this way.
Before she decided to act independently, overcome obstacles, and reunite with her closest friend, she gave it some serious thought. Rose’s eyes moved to the burning candles and matchbox by the statue of the Virgin Mary in her room and then it dawned on her, an ingenious plan.
After ripping out the matchbox, Rose stole an iron bucket from the laundry while the staff were there.
they were cleaning up after dinner. Rose’s face lit up with a glimmer of hope as she waited until the next morning to carry out her plan.
When Rose checked her retirement savings the next morning, she wailed, “Oh no… How am I going to manage with this much money?” She ran out of money and had her last $30 left. She mumbled, “I have to hurry… I don’t have time to think,” she struck a match and ignited the pile of paper in the iron bucket.
Rose slammed the door to her room and hurried to the terrace as she dusted her hands. “This should be enough!” she exclaimed.
Moments later, pandemonium erupted as a loud fire alarm siren rang throughout the building. Elderly residents and staff rushed around, believing a fire had broken out at the retirement home. As the staff and guards worked to get everyone to safety, Rose quietly apologized to everyone before sneaking out of the main gate.
Rose went to the nearest bus stop, carrying only her asthma inhaler and $30 in her pocket. Just enough money, she thought, to buy a ticket back to town. But Rose was determined to meet Arthur, even if it meant using her last few dollars to pay for a bus ticket to a place she’d never been.
She bought a ticket, got on the bus, and said, “Springfield, please!” Rose sat silently by the window watching the sleepy town pass by as the bus sped down the street lit by streetlights.
She was ecstatic and couldn’t contain her excitement at the prospect of being with her beloved Arthur again. And Rose asked the driver the same question every time the bus pulled into the station.
“Have we arrived in Springfield?”
The driver replied, “Madam, we still have a long way to go.” “You haven’t been to Springfield yet?”
Rose nodded, her mind occupied with memories of Arthur’s laughter and his promises to bring down the sky for her. Rose was extremely exhausted and hungry and the journey seemed to go on forever.
It was the farthest she had ever been and the ride hurt her joints and made her sick to the point of vomiting.
But Rose was willing to endure anything to see her true love.
Rose was awakened by a vehicle several hours later. She woke up with a jolt after falling asleep on the seat. She heard the driver say, “Ma’am, we’re here. Aren’t you getting down?”
Thanking the driver, Rose got out and rubbed her tired eyes. Pulling her coat closer to her shivering figure, she looked around at random passers-by and nearby shops, the air was cold.
Looking around as far as her eyes could go, Rose raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is this Springfield? But why is this town so quiet?” It all seemed so hopeless. Rose looked at her bus ticket which prominently said ‘Springfield’. When she saw Missouri instead of Virginia, her gut told her something was wrong.
Rose asked one of the bus drivers at the station, “Excuse me, is this Springfield? Can you please tell me how to get to this address?” and motioned him towards the spot on Arthur’s paper.
“Yes, this is Springfield, Missouri…But wait a minute, ma’am. It looks like a mistake here…The Springfield mentioned at this address is in Virginia…Did you get off at the wrong stop or something?” said the driver.
A wave of disappointment washed over Rose, leaving a trace of agony on her face. The thought of spending all her remaining savings on a plane ticket to the wrong city stunned her.
Rose looked up at the driver with a hint of panic and said, “Oh boy…I should have checked my ticket before I got on the bus…Is there any way to get to Virginia from here?” However, her dreams were dashed when the driver informed her that in order to take the bus to Virginia, she would have to travel through Los Angeles.
Rose felt so disappointed. Her purse barely contained $5, and now she would have to fly all the way to Los Angeles to get to Virginia.
Rose interrupted her friend’s heated conversation, hoping that the driver could help him. “I spent my last money on a ticket to the wrong city…damn my eyesight and my old age!” Rose grunted. “I would appreciate it if you could offer me a free ride to Los Angeles, young man. I have $5, but I need this money to get to Springfield.”
The driver laughed uncontrollably.
“$5 for a ride to Virginia?! Well, good luck, Grandma! And no! We’re not offering a free ride. The only way to get a free ride to Los Angeles is in an ambulance because the nearest hospital is there.” …and the morgue too!!”
The man and his companion made fun of Rose before disappearing into the crowd and moving on with their lives, leaving the poor woman to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Rose turned, her ears still ringing from the unfamiliar remarks, “Ambulance for a free ride? Well, why not? That gives me an idea!”
“It’s the elderly woman… she had an assault… call 911 please!” passers-by swarmed around Rose, who was lying on the pavement with her arms folded across her chest, causing chaos at the bus stop. In an attempt to get help, she faked a heart attack and felt terrible for playing such a cruel joke. But Rose realized that this was her only chance to get a free ticket to Los Angeles.
Paramedics, who quickly arrived, placed Rose on a stretcher and made her appear unconscious. After a check-up at the hospital, Rose was looking for a way out as the doctors ran some vital tests and talked about her condition.
She hated the white walls with green curtains and the smell of disinfectant. Rose was startled when she heard the heartbeat monitor beep; for a split second, she thought she was actually having a heart attack and was going to die soon. She took her scam too far and ended up alone in the emergency room!
Rose thought, “Jesus, please, I’m sorry!” She had to wait a long time alone in the ward because the nurses and doctors took turns. Rose quickly and stealthily left the hospital, thinking no one else was present, and headed towards the street.
Rose was alone in this strange city and she didn’t have her phone with her. She was also not used to smartphones and Google Maps, even though she owned them. It was a hot afternoon as she walked the streets, not sure who to approach or where to go.
And she was really hungry.
Rose was aware that using the $5 would make her trip to Springfield more difficult.
She didn’t want to beg for money from random strangers because she was too innocent to ask for help. She struggled to cope, but when she lost the ability to walk,
She went straight to the grocery store and tried to buy as much as she could for $5.
“And so I made my way to Los Angeles…and to your store!” Rose concluded her narrative while Mr.
Andrews began to cry. “But now I’ve only got one dollar in my pocket. I don’t know how I’m going to get to Springfield and find my Arthur. My legs are too weak to carry me, and I don’t have much.” remaining time…”
Mr. Andrews smiled and asked Rose to present Arthur’s note to him. He studied it carefully, and then his smile widened. Rose stared in shock as he quickly scribbled something on the map paper.
Curious, she said, “What are you doing?”
Rose was unaware of the meaning of the words “closed for 2 days!” until Mr. Andrews opened his shop, and after a while returned with a bag. Mr. Andrews wrote the last word on the paper and showed it to her. He approached her with a smile after tapping a “Sorry, we’re closed” sign on the front door of his store.
“Let me help you, Grandma!” cried Mr. Andrews. “Here, I brought you some cookies and cake. Even I have a grandma at home and you remind me of her! I’ll take you to Springfield and help you find Arthur! Get in my car!”
“Oh my god, thank you. Are you driving me to Springfield, Virginia?”
Mr. Andrews grinned and helped Rose into his SUV. “Thank you, dear…Thank you! But I have nothing to give you,” Rose chirped like a small child.
Rose’s eyes filled with anticipation and tears at the prospect of seeing Arthur again with each passing mile. She said very little and answered Mr. Andrews’s questions with a grave nod.
As he became proficient behind the wheel, he asked her, “So…are you finally going to tell him you love him?!”
Rose nodded with a small smile on her lips.
“Then what will happen? I’m sure he’ll say yes because he loves you so much.”
Mr Andrews laughed and said: “The man sounds like a classic romantic.”
“Then what will happen? I’m sure he’ll say yes because he loves you so much.”
Mr Andrews laughed and said: “The man sounds like a classic romantic.”
Rose nodded again. And on this occasion, her eyes sparkled with happiness and her cheeks turned a deep scarlet color.
They finally arrived in Virginia after what seemed like a lifetime of travel. Rose was in awe of the beautiful scenery and green forests that surrounded her as soon as she got out of the car.
“I’m sure this is where my Arthur would live…I know he’s somewhere near me…I can feel his presence…” she cried.
“Ah, Miss Rose! The address should be around here somewhere. I checked my phone and if I’m guessing right, we’re on the same street as your Arthur lives!” monsieur
Andrews shouted.
“But the only problem is…we don’t know the exact house number. It’s blurry on the note and there are hundreds of houses. What are we going to do now? Maybe ask at the shops and knock on the houses.”, you are asking for Arthur, you don’t even have a picture of him and I think our search will take some time!
Rose grinned, frowning in anticipation. She said, “I have an idea!” as Mr. Andrews shot her a surprised, wide-eyed look.
“Can you play ‘Just the two of us’ on the car stereo?”
Mr. Andrews raised his eyebrows in shock. His eyes filled with tears as he realized how crazy and devoted this elderly woman was to her beloved. “Alright, let’s get started!” he exclaimed.
As they drove through the streets, Mr. Andrews turned on the music in his car.
Music permeated the atmosphere as Rose excitedly looked out the windows on either side, hoping to see Arthur somewhere along the way.
Mr. Andrews shouted at her eagerly, “Did you hear that?!” and stopped as they passed the house. Rose recognized the voice and her heart leaped like a horse in her chest.
She said, “Yes! Yes, she did!” her eyes filled with tears when she got out of the car and turned around. Arthur was present! He ran towards her with outstretched arms and shouted only one name: Rose!
The reunion of the two darlings brought Mr. Andrews to tears. When Arthur kissed Rose and put the wedding ring on her finger at their beach-themed wedding a week later, he cried again! The groom, Mr. Andrews, was happy to walk Rose down the aisle!
Rose and Arthur, newlyweds, were aware of their limited time on earth. But they also vowed to always love each other more, despite all the obstacles they faced.
until their last breath and enjoy every moment of their happily ever after!
What lessons can we learn from this story?
• Stay hopeful even in the darkest of times because even the darkest tunnel can be illuminated by a tiny spark of light. Even though Rose was old and on her last dollar, she persistently tried to track down and reconcile with her lover, Arthur.
• Never hesitate to offer to help others, as even a modest act of kindness can have a profound impact on their lives. Mr. Andrews went to extraordinary lengths to take Rose to Springfield and help her reconnect with her sweet best friend Arthur after hearing her story.
Please share this story with your friends and let us know what you think.
It could lift them up and make their day.
After raising her orphaned grandchildren as if they were her own, a grandmother discovers that she is about to be kicked out of her home. He devises a cunning plan to trick them.
To read the full story, click this link.
Rose and Arthur’s reunion is a poignant reminder of the timeless power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. Rose’s journey, full of obstacles and missteps, eventually leads her to a heartfelt reunion with her beloved Arthur. It shows that even in the twilight of life, love can push a person to overcome unimaginable obstacles, and the human heart never stops yearning for connection and companionship.
Mr. Andrews’ kindness underscores the profound impact that a single act of empathy and support can have on someone’s life. His decision to help Rose, a stranger, out of compassion and humanity led to the rekindling of a decades-long love story. This act of kindness shows that our actions, no matter how small they may seem, can create ripples of joy and hope in the lives of others.
The story of Rose and Arthur teaches us several valuable lessons:
Hope and Perseverance: No matter how bleak the circumstances, maintaining hope and continuing to persevere can lead to extraordinary results. Rose’s determination to find Arthur, despite her age and financial limitations, shows the incredible strength of the human spirit.
Kindness and Compassion: Small acts of kindness can have a significant impact. Mr. Andrews’ willingness to listen and help Rose is an example of how compassion can change lives and bring about beautiful resolutions.
Endurance of love: True love knows no bounds and can flourish despite all obstacles. Rose and Arthur’s story is a testament to the enduring power of love and proves that it’s never too late to reconnect with a loved one and cherish the time they have left together.
As we reflect on this heartwarming story, it reminds us to cherish our relationships, offer kindness to those in need, and never lose hope, no matter what challenges we face. The story of Rose and Arthur is not only a tale of love and reunion, but also a lesson in how to live life with compassion, determination, and an open heart.
Let this story inspire us to be more empathetic, hopeful, and loving in our own lives. Share this with your friends and family to spread a message of hope and kindness. Remember that sometimes even the smallest gestures can lead to the most significant changes in someone’s life.