‘I’m Waiting for Mommy,’ Girl Says to Park Janitor, Next Day He Sees Her Still Sitting at Same Spot – Story of the Day

A park janitor meets a lonely little girl who says she is waiting for her mom. He is surprised when he sees her again the next day, still sitting on the same bench, and calls the police.

Albert took care of a beautiful old park in the city. He loved his job, keeping the park clean and pretty for everyone. One afternoon, he noticed a young girl, around four or five, sitting alone at a picnic table, engrossed in her coloring book. Concerned, Albert approached her.

"Hello there, little miss. What are you doing out here all by yourself? Trying to catch the fairies?" Albert inquired.

The girl looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "You're a stranger, and I'm not supposed to talk to strangers," she replied.

"You're absolutely right," Albert agreed with a nod. "But hey, I'm just the park guy, making sure you're okay. Where's your mom?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for Mommy. She's coming back soon. She had to go to an interview," the child explained hesitantly.

"And what's your name?" Albert asked gently.

"I'm Meg. Well, that's what my mom calls me. And for your information, I don't believe in fairies," she declared, a bit proudly.

Albert pretended to be shocked, "Oh, no! How can that be? I see them all the time here, causing mischief by the fountains!"

Meg couldn't help but laugh. "You're making that up! That's not true!"

Chuckling, Albert said, "Maybe, maybe not. But I'll be around, working. If those imaginary fairies or anything else bothers you, just holler, and I'll come running, OK?"

After talking to Meg, Albert went back to his job at the park. But he couldn't stop thinking about her. She reminded him of his own granddaughter and a very sad time that changed his life forever.

Albert used to be a cop who loved his job and his family. It was a bright Sunday in May five years ago, and his family was all set for a trip to the beach. Albert wanted to drive them, but he had to go to work because of a last-minute call.

"I'll be right there," he told his colleague, letting his son-in-law Josh drive instead. Emily, his granddaughter, was sad that he couldn't join them, but Albert promised her he would make it up to her. Unfortunately, he never got the chance.

Later that day, a call took Albert to the morgue, where he found out his whole family, including Emily, had died in a car accident. "The vehicle lost control," he was told, and Albert's world fell apart.

"I should've been driving. I shouldn't have let them leave," Albert said to his friend Jose at the funeral, putting Emily's teddy bear, Chelsea, next to her grave.

Years went by, but Albert couldn't shake off the guilt. It made him quit his job and become a park-keeper. He just wanted to stay away from everything that reminded him of his loss.

Albert, with eyes still wet from tears, turned around and felt his heart race when he noticed Meg wasn't at the bench. He searched every corner, but there was no sign of her.

Thinking she might've left with her mom, he tried not to worry too much. But he was surprised when he came to the park the next morning and found Meg looking sad and alone, hugging her teddy bear tightly.

"Hey there, kiddo! Why are you here all by yourself?" Albert asked, surprised.

"Mommy didn't come to get me," Meg said softly, her voice shaking.

"What? Where did you sleep last night?" Albert asked worriedly.

"At my house," she said, pointing to a small tent under a bridge not too far. Inside was just a worn-out mattress and a simple stove. It was clear they had no real home.

"How long have you been staying there?" Albert asked, feeling terrible for the child.

"A few weeks. We used to have a big house, but some men made us leave," Meg explained quietly.

"Listen, Meg, I used to be a police officer," Albert said firmly. "You can trust me. Let's try to find your mom, okay?"

Meg seemed scared but hopeful her mom would come back. Albert knew he had to do something quickly to help Meg and figure out what happened to her mom.

Albert checked the tent for clues but found nothing about Meg's mom. Meg was worried her mom would be mad for not staying at the park and asked Albert to take her back.

Albert agreed but made sure the child was okay while they waited. However, Meg's mom didn't show up, and Meg got really upset.

"Do you want to come to my house? We'll look for your mom again tomorrow," Albert offered, not wanting to leave the kid by herself.

Meg didn't want to go to Albert's house as her mommy had told her not to trust strangers. But after a lot of convincing, Meg relented.

At his house, Albert called his cop friends to try and find Meg's mom. Meg could only give a little bit of her mom's name and what she looked like. Her name was Candy D'cruz, and she had blonde hair. Now, Albert wasn't sure if he had the right details because Meg couldn't pronounce her mother's name properly.

Yet, with whatever information Albert had, he had to try.

"When will my mom come?" Meg asked as Albert served her dinner.

"Soon, sweetie," Albert said, although he felt terrible about lying to the young kid.

As time passed, Meg started to trust Albert and didn't mind staying with him. She wore Emily's clothes and slept in her bedroom, and in a way, she became the Emily Albert had lost five years ago.

Meanwhile, Albert spent countless evenings on the phone, trying really hard to find Meg's mom. He checked everywhere, even places where you'd expect the worst news, but found nothing.

But he wouldn't stop. He promised himself he'd keep looking for her mom. When none of his ex-colleagues and other contacts could help, Albert took matters into his own hands. After all, he was an ex-cop. He knew if he tried, he could find some leads.

So he took some time off work and began searching for Meg's mom all over the city and nearby places. He searched in places where people without homes might go, in shops, and even online. But he couldn't find anything about Candy D'Cruz. Meanwhile, his friends helped him look after Meg.

Also, every day, he and Meg would go to the park, holding onto a slim hope. Even after a whole month of looking with no luck, Meg still believed they would find her mom and wanted to go to the park every day.

One day, it was raining, and Albert thought they should stay home, but Meg said, "No, we have to go. Mommy will come!"

Albert couldn't crush the child's hope.

While they were taking a different route, Meg saw her mom's picture on a big sign near the bus stop. She got so excited and pointed at it, saying, "Look! There's Mommy!"

Albert was confused. "What? Where?"

Meg pointed right at the sign and said, "There, that one! That's my mom!"

Albert couldn't believe it when he saw the sign. The words on the billboard read: "Do You Know Me? Please Call On This Number" next to the name "Cadence Delacruz." Albert gasped in shock after learning Meg's mother's name was Cadence, not Candy.

"Meg! We are finally going to meet your mother!" Albert carried Meg cheerfully as he called the number on the billboard.

"City hospital," the attendant answered. "Yes, she was admitted here."

When they got to the hospital, they were told Meg's mother had already left. "Mommy has gone? Where did she go?" Meg started to cry.

"Sweetie, hold on...One second," Albert comforted her.

"She needed expensive treatment," the attendant explained to Albert. "She was in a coma for a few weeks and could not recall anybody when she woke up. Nobody came to take her. We even advertised her name and picture, but nobody turned up. She was discharged last week and sent to a shelter for the homeless."

Albert was afraid Meg would lose her mother again, so he rushed to the shelter with the girl.

And at the shelter, Meg found her mom again. Cadence had a photo, the only photo of Meg and herself, which is how she recognized her daughter.

"MOMMY!! Why did you go away?" Meg cried as she wrapped her arms around Cadence.

"I don't know, sweetie," Cadence replied and burst into tears.

Albert was speechless and moved upon seeing Meg laughing and crying with her mother. "You need to come with me," he interrupted.

"Where? And who are you?" Cadence asked.

"I'm Albert. I'm a janitor in the park. I found your daughter..." he paused. "I'll explain everything later. You and Meg need to come home with me now."

Albert took Cadence home and offered her to stay at his house as long as she wanted. He spent all his savings on her treatment. It took several months before Cadence could recall some crucial moments of her life. Being around her daughter helped her to a great extent. Gradually, Cadence remembered everything, and Albert was curious to know how she had hurt herself.

"My husband had mortgaged our house," she recalled. "I was not able to pay the loan after he died in an accident. Our house was taken, and then I rented a small room with my daughter. I lost my job, and my landlord kicked us out for not paying rent."

After she was stranded on the street, Cadence could not find a job almost immediately. She did not want her daughter to live in the shelter for the homeless, so they temporarily camped in the tarp tent under the bridge.

Albert felt sorry for Cadence and sighed with relief; things ended well for her and Meg. "But how did you get hurt?" he asked her.

Cadence recalled that fateful day and broke down.

"I was going for a job interview. I left my daughter in the park because I thought leaving her alone in the tent would be unsafe. I told her to wait there until I came," Cadence revealed.

"I remember I slipped and fell in the underpass. My head hit the edge of the staircase, and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. I could not remember anything."

"I'm glad you are safe, my dear. And I'm really happy Meg found you. She missed you so much," Albert teared up.

Cadence and her daughter lived with Albert until she found a job. A few months later, she dated Frank, a widower with two children, and married him.

Cadence and Meg moved into their new house and were always thankful to Albert for his help. He was happy for them, although he knew he would miss Meg terribly.

Time passed, but Meg and her mother never forgot Albert. They became a part of his family and constantly visited him on the weekends, and every summer, they even vacationed together by the sea.

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If you enjoyed reading this story, here's another one: When Derek found fresh flowers at his wife Alice's grave every week, he assumed it was the work of one of her students because she had worked as a teacher all her life. But one day, he saw a little boy sitting there and discovered the truth his wife had kept hidden for so long.

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.