I thought I was just going fishing with an old man I\u2019d met by chance, but the letter I received months later revealed a secret that would leave me forever changed\u2014and with a gift that would fulfill my wildest dreams.
Living in an old trailer wasn\u2019t as bad as it sounds, or at least that\u2019s what I told myself. It was just me and Mom.
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Honestly, I barely remember him, but Mom\u2026 well, she never says much about him.\n\n\n\n

Her legs were often propped up on a pillow, and she winced with every movement.\n\n\n\n

She\u2019d been in a car accident years ago, and her limp made standing or walking for long periods difficult.\n\n\n\n

Still, she worked long shifts at the gas station just to keep us afloat.\n\n\n\n

It made me feel like I was making a difference, even if it was just fetching mail or fixing dinner.Most days after school, I would find something to do outside the trailer\u2014anything to take my mind off things. But little did I know that at the age of 13, my life would change. That day, I was tossing an old, deflated soccer ball at some bottles I\u2019d set up like bowling pins.\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t much, but it helped pass the time. Then, out of nowhere, this shiny black SUV rolled up next to the trailer.\n\n\n\n

The windows were tinted, and I stared at it for a second, wondering who on earth would come around here in something that fancy.The door creaked open, and out stepped this old man, probably in his 70s or 80s, leaning on a cane but with a warm smile on his face. He waved. \u201cHey there,\u201d he said, slowly walking over. \u201cMind if I take a shot?\u201d He pointed at the bottles I had lined up. I blinked. \u201cUh, sure, I guess,\u201d I said, not really sure what to make of him. He chuckled. \u201cTell you what, let\u2019s make it interesting.\n\n\n\n

If I get a strike, I\u2019ll ask you for a favor, and you can\u2019t say no. But if I miss, I\u2019ll hand you a hundred bucks. Deal?\u201d My eyes practically popped out of my head. A hundred bucks? I could almost hear the register in my brain ringing. \u201cDeal,\u201d I said quickly.The man leaned down, picked up the deflated ball, and with a flick of his wrist, tossed it. The thing rolled straight into the bottles, knocking every last one down. I stood there, jaw dropped. No way. The old man laughed, clearly pleased with himself. \u201cLooks like I won,\u201d he said.\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, for that favor.\u201d I swallowed, curious. \u201cWhat do you want me to do?\u201d \u201cCome fishing with me tomorrow at the old pond,\u201d he said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.\u201cFishing?\u201d I scratched my head. That was it? Seemed like a strange request, but definitely not as bad as I thought it would be. \u201cUh, okay, I guess. Let me just ask my mom\n\n\n\n

.\u201dHe smiled and nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll wait.\u201d I jogged back into the trailer, opening the door quietly. Mom was asleep on the couch, her chest rising and falling slowly. She\u2019d had a long shift at the gas station the night before, and I didn\u2019t want to wake her. I stood there for a moment, biting my lip.\u201dShe won\u2019t even know,\u201d I muttered to myself. \u201cI\u2019ll be back before she notices.\u201d Decision made, I tiptoed back outside. \u201cAlright, I\u2019ll go,\u201d I told the old man, hoping I wasn\u2019t making a mistake. \u201cGreat,\u201d he said, smiling even wider. \u201cWe\u2019ll meet tomorrow at dawn. Don\u2019t be late.\u201dThe next morning, the old man picked me up bright and early in his black SUV. We drove in silence at first, heading out of town.\n\n\n\n

The place looked like no one had been there in years, the water was still, with tall grass growing around it. There wasn\u2019t a single person in sight.\u201dWhy here?\u201d I asked, looking around as I grabbed the fishing rods he\u2019d brought. The old man smiled softly as he set up the gear. \u201cThis place\u2026 it means a lot to me,\u201d he said, his voice quieter than usual.\n\n\n\n

We cast our lines into the water and sat side by side. We didn\u2019t talk much for a while. But after about an hour, with no bites on the line, I couldn\u2019t help but ask.\u201dSo\u2026 why did you want to come here to fish?\u201d I asked, curious. The old man glanced at me, his smile tinged with sadness. \u201cYears ago, I used to come here with my son. He was about your age then.\u201d\n\n\n\n

His voice softened even more.\u201dWe were poor, just like you and your mother. Didn\u2019t have much, but we always found time to come here. Funny thing is, we never caught a single fish, no matter how hard we tried.\u201d I looked at him. \u201cWhere\u2019s your son now?\u201d He was quiet for a long moment, staring out at the water. I noticed his eyes filled with tears. \u201cHe\u2019s gone,\u201d the old man finally said, his voice heavy. \u201cHe got sick. The doctors said he needed an urgent operation, but I didn\u2019t have the money. I couldn\u2019t save him.\u201dI felt my chest tighten.\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d He shook his head, blinking back tears. \u201cThat\u2019s when I promised myself I\u2019d never be in that position again. I worked, I hustled, I built myself up so I\u2019d never feel that helpless. But\u2026 I never had another child.\u201d I didn\u2019t know what to say at first, but something inside me knew what he needed to hear. I stood up, walked over to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. \u201cYour son\u2019s watching you from heaven,\u201d I said softly. \u201cAnd one day, he\u2019ll see you catch that fish. You just can\u2019t give up.\n\n\n\n

\u201dHe smiled at me, tears still in his eyes. \u201cThank you, Adam. You remind me so much of him.\u201d Just then, the float on one of our rods dipped suddenly into the water. \u201cHey, the float!\u201d I yelled. The old man\u2019s eyes widened, and we both grabbed the rod at the same time, pulling hard.\n\n\n\n

But as we yanked, we both lost our balance, tumbling into the pond with a loud splash. I gasped as the cold water hit me, and the old man surfaced beside me, laughing like he hadn\u2019t in years.\u201dWell, this is one way to catch a fish!\u201d he cackled, struggling to hold onto the rod while I helped pull him up.We finally managed to drag the rod back to shore, and to our surprise, attached to the end was the biggest fish I\u2019d ever seen.\n\n\n\n

The old man jumped to his feet, soaking wet but grinning like a kid.\u201dWe did it!\u201d he shouted, throwing his hands up in triumph. \u201cWe actually caught one!\u201d I couldn\u2019t help but laugh, watching him dance around like he\u2019d just won the lottery. We were soaked to the bone, but in that moment, it didn\u2019t matter.Later, he drove me back to the trailer. As we pulled up, he turned to me, his face soft and filled with gratitude. \u201cThank you, Adam,\u201d he said, his voice thick with emotion. \u201cToday meant more to me than you\u2019ll ever know.\u201d I smiled back.\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks for taking me fishing. It was fun.\u201d He reached out and patted my shoulder, a tear sliding down his cheek. \u201cTake care, son. And don\u2019t give up on those dreams.\u201dWith that, he drove off, leaving me standing there with a strange warmth in my chest. The next day, there was a knock on our trailer door. I opened it to see a man in a suit standing there, holding a package.\u201dAdam?\u201d he asked. \u201cYeah, that\u2019s me,\u201d I said, eyeing the man suspiciously.\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m Mr. Johnson, Mr. Thompson\u2019s assistant. He asked me to deliver this to you,\u201d he said, handing over the package.I opened it right there on the spot and inside was more money than I\u2019d ever seen in my life. My jaw dropped. \u201cW-what is this for?\u201d Mr. Johnson smiled kindly. \u201cIt\u2019s for you and your mother. Enough to move into a proper house, and for her medical care\u2014rehabilitation, so she can walk without pain. There\u2019s also a provision for private tutors to help you prepare for college.\n\n\n\n

Your education, including one of the best colleges in the country, will be fully covered.\u201dI couldn\u2019t believe it. My head spun as I tried to process what he was saying. \u201cBut\u2026 why?\u201d\u201dMr. Thompson was very moved by you, Adam. He sees a lot of his own son in you. This is his way of saying thank you.\u201d Tears filled my eyes. I couldn\u2019t speak, so I just nodded, overwhelmed by the kindness of a man who had once been a stranger but had now changed our lives forever. Several months passed since that fishing trip. One afternoon, I came home to find a letter on the table, addressed to me.\n\n\n\n

I recognized the handwriting instantly. My hands shook as I opened it. \u201cIf you\u2019re reading this,\u201d the letter began, \u201cthen I\u2019m already watching you from heaven with my son.\u201dI stopped, swallowing hard, and read on.\u201dThe day after we went fishing, I had heart surgery. I didn\u2019t survive, but that\u2019s okay. Meeting you gave me more peace than I ever thought possible. You reminded me of my son and showed me there\u2019s still joy in life, even after loss. I\u2019ve left you everything you need to succeed.\n\n\n\n

Remember what you told me that day by the pond? You\u2019ll catch that fish too\u2014just don\u2019t give up, right?\u201d I wiped a tear from my cheek, staring at the words. I could almost hear his voice again, and see him smiling next to me by the water.\n\n\n\n

Fifteen years later, I stood on the porch of the house I built for Mom, watching her laugh with my kids in the yard. \u201cYou never gave up, Adam,\u201d she said, catching my eye with a smile. \u201cHe\u2019d be proud.\u201d \u201cI think about him a lot,\u201d I admitted, my voice soft. \u201cI hope I\u2019ve made him proud.\u201d \u201cYou have,\u201d she said gently. \u201cHe gave you everything, and look at you now.\u201dI smiled, glancing at my own home next door. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the money, Mom. It was the reminder to never give up. I\u2019ll carry that with me forever.\u201d She squeezed my hand. \u201cAnd he\u2019s watching. I know it.\u201dI looked up at the sky, feeling that same calm warmth I\u2019d felt all those years ago.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"