Landlord Looks After Baby of His Widowed Tenant Who Works 2 Jobs — Story of the Day

When Zoe and Keegan rented Vincent's house, they were a young couple. Years later, the older man became family to them, doing far more than a landlord would, and drew ridicule from others for it. Little did Vincent know the kindness and love he had given the young pair would return to him when he needed it.

Vincent was a kind, God-fearing man. One morning, he was working in his garden, planting the roses his dear wife adored when a young couple paid him a visit. They were both 18 and looking for a place to live.

Vincent initially told them he didn't accept new couples and shooed them out. But then something in his heart changed, and he went after them.

"Hello, young birds!" he called out to them from afar. "What did you say your names were?"

The couple turned around when they heard his voice. "My name is Keegan," the man replied. "And this is Zoe, my fiancée."

"You still interested in ma house?" he asked. "I kinda changed my mind. You could take a look if that's ok with you!"

"Really?" Zoe said with a bright smile. "Yes! We'd love to!"

Zoe and Keegan were both orphans who met in foster care, fell in love, and decided to start a family soon. Keegan was a carpenter and the only working hand, so money was less, but they were happy.

Unfortunately, some stories have tragic endings.

When they went to Vincent's house, Zoe was pregnant. They were looking for an affordable place to stay in a safe neighborhood for their child. However, Vincent demanded a price that the poor couple could not afford.

"Is there no way you could cut it down by a few dollars?" asked Zoe. "We're not going to be able to afford that."

"Miss," said Vincent. "That'd be impossible for me. The farm and my tenants bring me money to live. How would this man survive if he started lowering the rents like that? Imma say you look somewhere else then!"

"It's not just about the rent," Keegan requested. "We're expecting a child, and we love your house. We'd like our child to grow up here. Can you please consider that and offer us a discount?"

Vincent thought for a while and said, "You know what, Imma let you have this one. Something tells me I shouldn't say no."

"God has always helped me, and Imma help you both!"

Vincent sympathized with young Keegan and Zoe and offered them the house for half the price he had decided. But that didn't sit well with his neighbors.

"You burned a hole in your pocket!"

"That couple emotionally duped you by bringing up their child!"

"You, what? Half the rent? That's crazy!"

"Wait until they ask for more favors!"

"In my opinion, Vincent, you should not have done that!"

These were just some of the few remarks Vincent's neighbors made about the young couple he had been kind to. But he didn't change his mind.

Help others without expecting anything, and that kindness will return to you one day.

"You're pregnant, miss! You better stay healthy for that little life inside you coz Imma be best friends with that baby. And you gotta let me know if you two need anything!"

Vincent always wished the couple well, and because he didn't have any children, he was just as excited to hold their new baby as they were. He never remarried after losing his beloved wife, Marlene, to cancer.

When Zoe and Keegan needed to get to the hospital because Zoe's water broke, Vincent drove them there. He was always there for the couple, and he was praying to the Lord while Zoe was giving birth.

"Dear God, I pray that everything goes well. Please keep her and her child safe."

But God was a little late in answering Vincent's prayers. Zoe died during childbirth. While she brought a beautiful baby boy into the world, she could never kiss, touch, or hold him.

When Keegan got the terrible news, he couldn't even hold their baby. The fact that his wife was never coming back broke him on the inside.

"Stay strong, dear!" Vincent consoled the man. "You need to pull yourself together for your child's sake. You gotta stay strong, alright?"

For days after Zoe's funeral, Keegan didn't step out of his room, leaving Vincent to care for the baby on his own.

"See, honey, isn't he precious?" Vincent was talking to his late wife one day. "This little boy… you'd be so happy if you had the chance to look after him. I hope the Lord gives his father the strength to move on from his loss. It gets hard, you know… I was in his shoes when I lost you."

A month passed. It took time for Keegan to recover from Zoe's death, but things improved. He started working two jobs to support his child and afford the rent.

"Hey, boy, don't worry, okay?" Vincent then told Keegan. "You gotta work and make money, and don't worry about your child. Imma help you, alright?"

"This man is there for you."

"Thank you, Vincent," Keegan said in tears. "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay your kindness. But if I'm able to, I surely will. I promise."

Keegan was overcome with emotions when Vincent offered to babysit his little boy. Vincent said that because he didn't have any children of his own, it was a pleasure for him, but the older man's heart knew he was doing it because he felt terrible for his tenant.

Vincent looked after the baby boy like he was his own. He played with him, changed his diapers, and sang him lullabies. His neighbors laughed at him and thought he was a free 'nanny' for the boy. But Vincent didn't mind any of it. Little Justin needed him, and he would go to any lengths for the child.

Several years passed. Justin grew up, but Vincent's love for the boy never changed. Kaggen told Justin stories about how 'Uncle Vincent' was always there for them while he was at work, so when Vincent was bedridden, Justin was always there for the older man.

"You'll be fine pretty soon, Uncle Vincent!" the boy would cheerfully assure him. "We still have to watch all those football games that we haven't been able to, alright?"

Vincent nodded and smiled. Each and every time.

One day, Justin paid him a visit, but Vincent was in sleep… deep sleep. Justin didn't disturb him, but seeing Vincent so still struck him as odd. Soon, the boy knew his Uncle Vincent had gone to Aunt Marlene.

"May you rest in peace, Uncle Vincent. I… I will miss you!" he cried.

Some stories meet a sad ending, but Vincent's is tragic. He had made so many plans with Justin. They were supposed to take trips together and catch up on so much football. But life was a little cruel to him and took him away soon. The fact that he was at least surrounded by the people he loved when God called him home is the only thing that consoles Justin's heart. He still misses Vincent.

What can we learn from this story?

• Help others without expecting anything, and that kindness will return to you one day. Vincent looked after Justin without expecting anything in return, and his kindness returned to him in the form of love when he was bedridden and needed someone to care for him.
• Unfortunately, some stories have tragic endings. Sadly, Vincent could never carry out the plans he had made with Justin.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who helped a single grandfather change a baby's diaper, not knowing she'll become a part of his family later.

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.