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Homeless Orphan Brothers Who Live in Cave Receive $3.7M Inheritance from Woman They Never Met – Story of the Day

Monica Otayza
Jun 04, 2022
02:00 P.M.

Homeless orphan twin brothers had no choice but to live in a cave as they had no place to go. They were surprised to discover that they were the heirs of a $3.7 million inheritance from a woman they had never even met.

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Jack and Chandler were 23-year-old twin brothers who spent most of their lives in an orphanage. They lived in poverty after their mother left them when they were one when she could not support having two children.

Their father left when he learned that they would be having twins, and while their mom initially planned to keep them, she realized there would be no way for her to support them with the job she had.

When Jack and Chandler turned 18, they were asked to leave the orphanage that they could no longer accommodate them. They became homeless and had no choice but to live in a cave on the city's outskirts.

Jack and Chandler were abandoned by their mom when they were babies. |  Source: Pexels

Jack and Chandler were abandoned by their mom when they were babies. | Source: Pexels

They spent their days rummaging through landfills, looking for things to sell. While on the hunt for sellable items, they would also give back to the orphanage they once lived in, as they were innately kind people.

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Whenever they found old toys in the garbage, they would clean and repair them, and if they were usable, they would donate them to the orphanage.

The twins knew what it was like growing up without privilege and parents. They grew up without a sense of family and without feeling love and compassion from those around them, so they were determined to provide kids at the orphanage with a source of joy through those toys.

They went through the trash to look for things they could sell. |  Source: Pexels

They went through the trash to look for things they could sell. | Source: Pexels

The brothers were humble individuals who did not believe in begging. They wanted to work hard for what they had, so they barely accepted any help from others.

On days when they had nothing to eat, they would accept food donations from people, but that was it. They refused to take any money and instead scavenged through trash for items they could sell and earn money from.

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One day, they met a homeless 13-year-old boy named Dave. Concerned for the boy's welfare, they offered to take him to the orphanage they once lived, so he had proper shelter and necessities. Dave refused, begging the twins not to call the police.

One day, they met a teenage boy named Dave. | Source: Pexels

One day, they met a teenage boy named Dave. | Source: Pexels

"Can I stay with you instead? Please?" Dave pleaded. "I'll help you scavenge through the trash so we have something to eat every day," the young boy promised.

Jack and Chandler were good with kids, especially after being one of the eldest at the orphanage they lived in at one point. They agreed to take Dave under their wing and take care of him. "Alright then. It's better than you being alone on the streets. It could get dangerous," Chandler told him.

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For months, Dave lived with Jack and Chandler inside the cave. They became his older brothers, and they treated each other like family.

Jack, Chandler, and Dave would sell the things they found in a junk shop. | Source: Pexels

Jack, Chandler, and Dave would sell the things they found in a junk shop. | Source: Pexels

On one random day, Jack, Chandler, and Dave were in the junk shop where they usually sold the things they found in the trash. There, a social services representative was waiting for them.

"Are you Jack and Chandler Hawkes?" the representative, who introduced herself as Ali, asked them.

Jack and Chandler nodded, looking at each other in confusion. "Why?" Jack asked.

"I've been looking for you for a couple of months now. I'm glad I came across this junk shop when I sold some spare metal I had at home. I saw your names in the logbook and noticed you came here every weekend. I'm glad I chanced upon you today," the woman said.

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A social worker was waiting for the boys when they arrived at the junk shop. | Source: Pexels

A social worker was waiting for the boys when they arrived at the junk shop. | Source: Pexels

Jack and Chandler looked at her with blank expressions, surprised to find out that someone had been looking for them. "What do you need from us?" Chandler asked this time.

"You see, a certain Sandra Hawkes left behind an inheritance worth $3.7 million, and it's currently named under the two of you," she revealed.

Jack, Chandler, and Dave's eyes widened. "3.7 million dollars?!" they all said in unison.

"But... we don't know anyone named Sandra Hawkes," Jack told the woman. "We've been orphans since we were a year old. Did the inheritance come from our birth mother?"

The social worker revealed that they were the recipients of a multi-million-dollar inheritance. | Source: Pexels

The social worker revealed that they were the recipients of a multi-million-dollar inheritance. | Source: Pexels

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Ali shook her head. "Not quite. Sandra Hawkes is your grandmother," she shared. "However, the inheritance did come with your mother's approval."

Suddenly, Jack and Chandler felt sad. "Does that mean our mother had died?" Chandler asked.

"No, sir. Your mom is alive," Ali revealed. "The inheritance should have gone to her. However, she requested that they be transferred to you. She felt she had no right to receive the money after abandoning you."

The boys were surprised at the sudden selflessness of their mom. They wondered whether or not she was already rich, which was why she didn't want the money. But Ali informed them that this was not the case.

The boys wondered if their mother was already wealthy. | Source: Pexels

The boys wondered if their mother was already wealthy. | Source: Pexels

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"Your mother also lives in poverty. She lives in a shelter for women, where she relies on food stamps for her daily sustenance," she revealed.

Jack and Chandler asked Ali to take them to their mom. She drove them to the shelter where she lived, and there, they had an emotional reunion.

"Is it you, my twins?" their mom, Sylvia, cried. She caressed each of her son's faces as she cried. When Jack and Chandler nodded their heads, she couldn't help but sob.

"I'm sorry, my sons. I'm sorry for abandoning you and for never coming back for you," Sylvia cried. "When I got the inheritance from your grandmother, I went to the orphanage I once left you in, but you were no longer there. I tried looking for you, but I couldn't find you," she explained.

Their mother felt guilty for leaving her sons in an orphanage. | Source: Pexels

Their mother felt guilty for leaving her sons in an orphanage. | Source: Pexels

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"You see, when you were born, your grandmother disapproved of your father being my husband. We eloped, and I had not seen your grandmother since then," Sylvia revealed. "Even I couldn't believe she left me her inheritance, but when I received it, you were the first two people I thought of."

Jack and Chandler remembered all the years they lived in the orphanage and how they had always longed to meet their mother again. While the experience of being abandoned was both traumatic and painful for them, they were happy to meet their mother finally.

"I know it must have been hard for you to leave us, and we didn't live easy lives because of your decision, but I forgive you, mom," Chandler told her.

Jack and Chandler bought a new home using the money they received. | Source: Pexels

Jack and Chandler bought a new home using the money they received. | Source: Pexels

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Jack nodded, echoing his twin brother's sentiments. "I've always dreamt of seeing my mom again – of having a complete family. Now that you're here, I'm willing to let go of the past and start anew," he said.

Sylvia cried, grateful that her sons were willing to give her a second chance. Jack and Chandler decided to purchase a lovely house with the money they received, where they lived alongside Sylvia and Dave.

As they had a lot more money to spare, they used it to get college degrees so they could find good jobs. Eventually, Jack met a lovely woman and got married. He adopted Dave to be his son, and they cared for him like their own.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Forgiveness can bring about beautiful new beginnings. When you choose to forgive someone, you open up opportunities to start anew and live a happy and regret-free life.
  • Your kindness will always come back to you one way or another. When you do good deeds, life will find a way to reward you.

Share this story with your loved ones. It might inspire them and make their day.

If you liked this story, you might like this one about a woman who nursed his ill grandmother, only to receive an old armchair as her inheritance when she died.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.

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