Every Day Old Man Comes to Playground Watching Kids Play until a Little Boy Disappears One Day — Story of the Day

An old man spends every afternoon at the park, watching kids play at the playground. One day, a little boy disappeared, and everybody blamed the old man for it.

A lonely old widower named Raymond would visit the park every day and sit on a bench in-between the playground and the baseball diamond. Each afternoon, the same group of children would head to the diamond to play and Raymond would quietly observe them as they played.

One mom, Stella, noticed Raymond at the park every day but paid no attention to him like everybody else. Instead, she'd quietly walk past him as she took her son to the baseball diamond to play with the rest of the children.

A group of kids would play baseball at the park every afternoon. | Source: Pexels

However, one day, Stella had no choice but to set her sights on Raymond. When she dropped off her son at the field, she saw the team was still missing one boy.

"Isn't Robbie usually early?" Stella asked the group while they settled down. The kids nodded their heads.

Stella decided to give the young boy's parents a call to clarify whether or not Robbie was coming to play that day. When the parents confirmed that he had left the house to play baseball, panic ensued.

"Should we head to the park? My husband and I are about to go to a business meeting. Can you update us if we should make our way there?" the parents asked Stella.

A young boy named Robbie was missing from the group one day. | Source: Pexels

Stella told them that she'd first try to find Robbie herself, and if she doesn't, she would update them and call the police.

Frantic, Stella immediately searched for Robbie after dropping the call with his parents. "Are you sure you haven't seen him here? Where could he be?" she asked the children.

Fortunately, one of the children admitted seeing Robbie at the park earlier. "He was walking to the baseball diamond, then he approached the old man that usually sat on the same bench, and they disappeared," the boy shared.

The children revealed that Robbie was last seen with the old man who sat on the same park bench every day. | Source: Pexels

Stella's eyes widened. "I knew that old man was suspicious! Why would he be sitting on the same bench every day to observe you? It was only a matter of time before he planned something," she said, shaking her head.

Stella asked the children to stay in the field while she searched for Robbie. After walking around the park for a couple of minutes, she came back defeated and decided to call the police.

However, as she dialed their local precinct's number, the kids started jumping up and down. They saw Robbie approaching from beneath the trees. "It's Robbie! He's here!" they yelled.

Robbie approached the field alongside the old man. | Source: Pexels

Stella glanced where the kids were looking and saw Robbie walking next to the old man, holding his hand. She breathed a sigh of relief and ran to them.

"Robbie! Why did you run off with a stranger? You're not allowed to just go with anybody; your parents taught you that, right? It's dangerous," Stella said, almost scolding him.

Robbie looked at the old man and asked him to sit on the bench. Then he walked towards the baseball diamond where he explained everything to Stella and his friends.

"The old man's name is Mr. Jefferson. I saw him crying on the park bench earlier, and I decided to find out why. We see him every day, but none of us have ever tried to get to know him. I figured it was about time," Robbie explained.

Robbie revealed that Mr. Jefferson was crying earlier that day, which is why he approached him. | Source: Pexels

"But he's a stranger. We don't know what his intentions are. He could have been crying to catch your attention," Stella asserted. "Your parents were so worried after I told them you weren't at the field like all the other kids."

Robbie shrugged. "We should always see the good in everybody – my parents taught me that. Mr. Jefferson is a kind man. Today is his wife's death anniversary. That was why he was crying."

Stella slowly started to feel bad for thinking the worst. Then Robbie continued to open up. "He used to play baseball in his youth and was once the best pitcher at his university. He watches us play because he said he remembers the 'good old days.'"

Mr. Jefferson used to play baseball in his youth. | Source: Pexels

The young boy also revealed Mr. Jefferson's wife died last year, and since then, he has been left completely alone. "He comes to the park every day because being at home makes him feel his loneliness even more. He said he finds joy watching kids playing baseball, a game that he, too, once loved," Robbie shared.

Stella felt terrible for the way she had assumed the worst of the old man. She called Robbie's parents and assured them that Robbie was fine.

Stella and the children approached the old man and properly introduced themselves. The old man was delighted.

"I have been watching you play baseball for months, yet I've never met you. I'm glad to meet you finally," Mr. Jefferson said, smiling. "I was once a baseball player too, you know."

Mr. Jefferson found joy in watching the kids play baseball. | Source: Pexels

Knowing this, the kids had an idea. They invited Mr. Jefferson to coach them every day so that he had something to look forward to each afternoon. "Be our coach, Mr. Jefferson!" they pleaded.

The old man smiled. "I haven't played baseball in decades," he replied. But after the kids insisted, he eventually agreed.

"Well, alright. You are all like my grandchildren. I suppose I could help you better your baseball skills," he smiled.

Mr. Jefferson agreed to coach the children. | Source: Pexels

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Starting that day, Mr. Jefferson coached the children and the aspiring athletes learned tips and tricks from him.

While the kids played with Mr. Jefferson, Stella offered to go to his house to clean up and prepare a good snack for everyone. This became a daily routine. After their meal, parents would come to pick up their children from Mr. Jefferson's house instead of the park.

What can we learn from this story?

• Always choose to see the good in every person. Robbie's parents taught him to see the good in everyone, which is why he believed that Mr. Jefferson was a kind and decent man.
• Look out for one another and help those you can. Robbie made sure to check on Mr. Jefferson after he saw him crying on the park bench. Likewise, Stella decided to check on Robbie when she realized he was missing from the group.

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 an old man who saves a young boy from being bullied, only to find his parents in his front yard the following day.

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.