A grieving mother visited her son’s grave almost daily. She was spooked when she discovered baby toys there during a visit, and learned a shocking truth about her son’s life.
“A MUSICIAN ? Have you lost your mind, Leonard?” cracked Kenneth, when his son declared his desire to pursue a career in music.
Leonard was 18, fresh out of high school and eager to follow his passion. However, his parents wanted him to become a lawyer, which Leonard did not want.
He took a year off after high school because he didn’t want to rush into career decisions, and he found that music was something he really wanted to pursue. However, when he declared his desire to become a musician, his parents were unimpressed.
“But what’s wrong with becoming a musician, dad?” grumbled Leonard. “There are so many people who have followed their passion and are very successful now. I want to be one of them! I don’t want to do boring office work!”
Listen, my son,” his father continued. “I made a very clear decision, and I don’t want to repeat myself. You are going to be a successful lawyer, just like your grandfather and me. It’s clear ?”
“It’s impossible, dad!” replied Leonard. “You can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do! I want to pursue my passion, music, and that’s what I’m going to do!”
“But darling,” her mother interjected. “Your dad doesn’t pressure you. He doesn’t want you to waste your time on something that isn’t even certain. You see, so many people have big dreams, but only a handful of them achieve them. He’s just worried about you and doesn’t want you to suffer.”
“Oh really, mom?” Leonardo said. “If he really cares about me, he should support me!”
“Calm down, Leonard. Don’t forget you’re talking to your parents!” his father warned him. “If you want to make your own decisions, why don’t you pay for your university? If you stay with us, you must listen to us and obey us. Otherwise, get lost elsewhere!”
“Good, dad!” said Leonard. “I will prove to you one day how wrong you are. I don’t want to be under your orders anyway. I’m going to make money and make a name for myself!” Leonardo said, going to his room.
Leonard’s mother, Lily, advised him to calm down and talk about it later, but he was furious. He packed up that same evening and left the house, vowing never to return.
Lily kept asking him not to. She even tried to convince Kenneth to stop their son, but the man was so adamant about his decisions that he didn’t budge. At the same time, even Leonard didn’t care. He was determined to prove his parents wrong, and he left home that same evening, severing all ties with them.
Three years passed without any contact between Leonard and his parents. Lily often worrying about her son, she tried to call him several times, but all her calls went to voicemail, and Leonard never returned them.
However, one morning, while Lily was preparing breakfast, her phone rang. She quickly wiped her hands and rushed to answer, but what she heard on the other end of the line confused her.
It was a phone call informing her that Leonard, her son, had died. The young boy was involved in a motorcycle accident and died before reaching hospital.
Lily burst into tears, unable to accept the death of her beloved son. “Not possible ! This cannot happen! Nothing happened to my son!” she shouted, alerting Kenneth. When he saw his wife on their living room floor, clutching her phone and crying her tears, he wondered.
“Honey, what’s going on?” Kenneth asked worriedly. But Lily couldn’t answer.
Kenneth snatched the phone from Lily’s hands at this point. “Hello ? “Who is speaking ?”
“It’s Officer Duncan calling you, sir. We regret to inform you that your son, Leonard Williams, passed away this morning in a motorcycle accident. We would appreciate it if you could come as soon as possible to confirm that the boy’s body is indeed Leonard’s. We found your phone number in his phone and called you.”
Kenneth couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you sure, officer, that’s our Leonard? It…it’s not possible……”
“Listen, sir. We found this contact on the victim’s phone. This number was listed as “mom”. In any case, you should come and confirm the body. Thanks,” Officer Duncan said before hanging up.
Kenneth and Lily were heartbroken. They rushed from Chicago to Milwaukee, where the officer said Leonard’s body was located, hoping that all they heard was a mistake or a bad dream that would quickly pass.
However, when they arrived at the morgue, they could not believe that the lifeless boy, the pale-complexioned body, was their son. Lily was sobbing on the floor, and Kenneth had a stream of tears streaming down her cheeks.
Kenneth and Lily arranged for their son’s funeral the next day in Milwaukee. Too heartbroken, they didn’t want to bring him to their hometown, the place that had marked the beginning of their estranged relationship. They bade farewell to Leonard. But the loss of their son put a strain on their relationship.
Kenneth became extremely quiet, drinking heavily and cursing himself deep down for being a bad father, as Lily continued to blame him for kicking out their son.
In the days that followed, Kenneth never bothered to accompany Lily to Leonardo’s grave. He felt guilty for confronting his son, and he could never muster enough courage to do so. Lily, on the other hand, drove two hours to her son’s grave every day.
One day, she arrived at Leonardo’s grave, and noticed a small teddy bear near it. She took it off and put it aside, thinking someone had left it there by mistake, replaced it with the bouquet she had bought, and sat there talking to her son for a while. Before leaving.
However, when she returned to the grave the next day, the teddy bear was there again, and this time there were several toys with it.
She was then puzzled and wondered if they were left there on purpose. She asked the guard if he knew anything, but he said no.
Lily left the cemetery that day, wondering who the hell was bringing toys to her son’s grave, but when she returned the next day, all her doubts vanished.
Lily had just arrived at the cemetery that day when she noticed a young woman standing in front of Leonardo’s grave, holding a baby in her arms. The woman’s eyes were closed as if praying. After a few minutes, she placed a toy near Leonardo’s grave and walked away.
Lily couldn’t contain her curiosity and decided to approach her. “Excuse me,” she said. “Do you know my son? I just noticed you placed a toy near his grave. Have you been doing this for days?”
The woman looked a little stunned. “Are you Lily Williams? Leonard’s mother?”
“You know me ?” Lily’s eyes widened.
“Of course, Mrs. Williams,” the woman said, her eyes full of tears. Lily felt a strange fear and worry in her tears. “I am Carrie. I’m Leonard’s girlfriend. And that baby is Henry, our son.”
Lily couldn’t believe her eyes when she looked at the child. The baby was an exact replica of her deceased son! “But Leonard, he never….”
“I never imagined we would meet like this, Mrs. Williams,” Carrie said. “Leonard missed you terribly. He was hoping to reconnect with you, but…” The woman almost burst into tears.
Lily consoled her, then the two walked to a nearby park. As Carrie sat down to wipe away her tears, she revealed the whole story to Lily.
It turns out Leonard met Carrie when he came to his town to pursue his dreams. However, due to lack of means, he started working as a part-time waiter in a restaurant to support himself, and it was there that he met Carrie.
They had moved in together and, more than a year later, Carrie had become pregnant. Leonard was overjoyed! He wrote a song dedicated to his future child, which was not a big hit, but received a lot of feedback in some US states.
This prompted him to take the next step in his career, and he started knocking on the doors of various producers. Some even agreed to collaborate with him. However, tragedy struck Carrie and Leonard when the man was involved in an accident.
That same morning, Carrie was rushed to hospital with contraction pains. A neighbor had called the ambulance for her, and she had no idea that Leonard had been involved in an accident. She was unconscious for a few days after giving birth, and when she woke up, she learned that Leonard had passed away.
The woman couldn’t stop crying and started visiting his grave almost every day. The toys she left behind were the ones Leonardo had bought for their child.
“I didn’t know what to do when I found out he was dead,” Carrie continued. “The cops…. They found my address thanks to Leonardo’s driver’s license, and that’s how I learned that he was no longer alive. They also said that you and Mr. Williams arranged the funeral in Milwaukee. I contacted the cemeteries one by one and found that Leonardo was here.
“I wanted to meet you one day, but I didn’t know how. Leonard loved him, and he promised that when he became famous, he would bring you and his father here, and we would all live happily together as a family. But unfortunately that didn’t happen.”
Lily couldn’t contain her tears when she heard that. She had already lost her son, and she didn’t want to lose her grandson as well. So she invited Carrie and Henry to move in with her, saying they were as much a part of her family as Leonardo. The young woman was hesitant at first, but finally accepted when Lily insisted.
Thanks to that fateful day, Lily and Kenneth’s lives changed for the better. Kenneth became a loving grandfather to Henry, and seeing him take care of the little boy, Lily became more patient and understanding with him, which improved their relationship.
Carrie considered herself lucky to have met Lily and Kenneth, who are wonderful grandparents to Henry. They also helped her get Leonard’s song released by a reputable label.
Carrie says Henry, now 5, is incredibly proud of his father’s career as a musician and longs to follow in his footsteps. This time, Lily and Kenneth are totally behind him.
What can we learn from this story?
Anger and impatience only complicate things. Instead of leaving his parents’ house in anger, Leonardo could have tried another way to convince his parents of his passion. Kenneth, too, shouldn’t have been so hard on his son. Anger and arguments only soured the relationship between Kenneth and Leonard, to the point that the boy cut ties with his father and Lily.
It’s not always easy, but having a big heart and acceptance can sometimes make things better. Lily and Kenneth’s relationship has improved since Lily welcomed Carrie and Henry into her home and accepted them as her family.
