Grieving Boy Is Called to Principal’s Office for Bad Grades, Sees Late Mom’s Photo There – Story of the Day

A boy who lost his parents weeks ago in a car crash is stunned to find his late mom's photo in his school principal's office. Little does he know it will reveal something shocking about his mother's past.

14-year-old Patrick stood outside his school principal, Mr. Walton's office, nervous and depressed. He knew why Mr. Walton had called him, and he was not interested in having any such talks whatsoever.

A few weeks ago, Patrick lost his parents, Stella and Edward, in a terrible car crash. He knew Stella was an orphan and Edward was a single child whose parents died years ago, which is why he didn't have any relatives. Patrick was placed under the guardianship of Mr. Duncan and his wife by Social Services after his parents' demise.

Mr. Duncan was Patrick's temporary guardian and later became his teacher when Patrick was admitted to the school where Mr. Duncan worked. Unfortunately, Patrick had a hard time coping with his parents' loss, so he couldn't concentrate on his studies and was constantly missing his assignments and failing his tests.

When word about his poor performance reached Mr. Walton's ears, Patrick was summoned to his office. He knew Mr. Walton would ask him why he was doing so terribly at his studies, and he'd have to talk about his parents' loss, which he didn't want to.

However, he knew he couldn't really escape Mr. Walton either, so he took a deep breath and entered his office.

When Mr. Walton saw Patrick enter, he panicked and hurriedly hid whatever he was holding in his drawer, and Patrick noticed it.

"Oh, Patrick!" he cried, his voice trembling. "You should never enter someone's private space without knocking, young boy. That's basic etiquette."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Walton," Patrick replied, embarrassed. But it wasn't his fault entirely. He was so preoccupied with thoughts of his parents and how he'd respond to Mr. Walton's questions that he forgot he was supposed to knock.

As he stood at the door, he suddenly wondered why Mr. Walton panicked when he saw him come in and what he was trying to hide.

"It's okay. Come inside and take a seat," Mr. Walton remarked.

"How do you know my mom, Mr. Walton? What are you trying to hide?"

"So, Patrick," he said as the boy sat. "You're probably aware of the reason for our meeting today. I know things haven't been easy for you on the family front, but if you don't pay attention to your declining grades, we won't be able to let you take the exams. It would be difficult for us as well...."

Patrick sat motionless, not uttering a word. What would he tell him in response? That he wanted to stay home rather than attend school? That he didn't have any friends in his new school and didn't care either because he only wanted his parents back? He saw himself as a strong 14-year-old, not a weak little boy who cried because he yearned for his parents. He was far too stern to admit how much he missed them.

Sadly, he didn't trust anyone enough in his "new" life to confide in them and tell them what was going on inside his head, and every time he sat down to study, he'd spend hours thinking about his parents and nothing would come to him.

"Are you here, Patrick?" Mr. Walton asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Can you promise me you'll work harder from now on?"

"I," he finally said. "I'll do my best, Mr. Walton, but I'm having trouble concentrating because..." Patrick didn't get to finish because Mr. Walton's phone rang and cut him off.

"Just a minute, Patrick, I'll be right back," Mr. Walton said and he left his office to take the call.

If the phone hadn't rung, Patrick would have almost spat out the real reason why he was so distracted. He sighed and shook his legs in anxiety.

When another couple of minutes passed and Mr. Walton didn't return, Patrick suddenly thought about the moment he'd seen Mr. Walton hiding something.

He thought it over, and he knew what he was going to do next was terribly wrong, but he was desperate to find out what was going on, so he cautiously opened Mr. Walton's drawer, making sure no one saw him, and what he found inside brought tears to his eyes.

"MOM?" Patrick couldn't believe he was staring at a photograph of his mother and Mr. Walton. His mom looked way younger in the picture and Mr. Walton was hugging her and smiling.

At that moment, Mr. Walton emerged from outside his office, and he took a step back when he saw Patrick holding the picture. "You, you shouldn't have…." He had barely started speaking when Patrick turned to face him, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"How do you know my mom, Mr. Walton? What are you trying to hide?" he almost yelled.

Mr. Walton sighed and removed his glasses. "Could you please have a seat, Patrick? There's a lot you should know..."

As Patrick sat, dumbfounded, Mr. Walton's eyes welled up. He wasn't sure how to tell Patrick everything, but he knew it was time. He revealed that he was Patrick's grandfather and his mother's father.

15 years ago, when Stella was 17, she got pregnant with her boyfriend's child. Her boyfriend wouldn't take responsibility for Patrick, and Mr. Walton was against her pregnancy, so he kicked her out of the house.

"Because my wife died during childbirth, I was everything to her," he said. "When I started missing your mother, I realized I'd made a terrible mistake by kicking her out. I begged her to forgive me, but it was too late. She had found your father, and she was content with her family and didn't want me around.

"She was very strong, Patrick. Your mother was one of the strongest people I've ever known. She didn't abort you even when she didn't have anyone to support her. I was so ashamed of what I had done. When I found out your parents had died and you were alone, my heart fell for you, so I asked Mr. Duncan to become your guardian and protect you. I was so embarrassed to look you in the eyes...I'm sorry," he finished.

"Mom told me she was an orphan! Are you really my grandpa?" Patrick asked and Mr. Walton nodded.

"You can hate me for what I did, Patrick. Now, I know you'll be reluctant to stay with Mr. Duncan and want to change guardians and never see me again, but..."

Before Mr. Walton could finish, Patrick sprang to his feet and hugged him tightly.

"I want to change my guardian, yes, I want to live with you, grandpa! I forgive you for everything! I am so happy to have you. We can go fishing, play baseball, and do so many fun things…

"You can't imagine how happy I am today, grandpa. Mom and dad always used to tell me that family is the most important thing God has given us, and I am so happy that I still have a family. I love you so much!" he cried.

Mr. Walton couldn't believe things unfolded so positively. He hugged Patrick, relieved to have his grandson back. It had been a long journey to get there, but he was determined to make up for his lost time with Patrick.

What can we learn from this story?

• Nothing can replace the love and warmth of a family. Mr. Walton realized this when fate plunged him into a situation where he lost his daughter and she never returned or forgave him. However, because he realized his mistake, he was blessed with Patrick's forgiveness.
• Children should not suffer for their parents' choices. Although Stella's decision to stay away from Mr. Walton was justified, it should have been Parick's choice whether or not he wanted his grandad in his life.

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This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers 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.