Neighbors Scorn 59-Year-Old Woman Raising Twin Babies Until Old Lady Intervenes — Story of the Day

When a 59-year-old woman just moved in with twin babies, her neighbors mocked her for her late pregnancy. One day, a guardian angel stepped up for the poor woman and shut their mouths by revealing something heart-rending that hung their heads in shame.

The world always teaches compassion and the importance of minding one's business. What do people get out of talking behind someone's back? Why has humankind forgotten to show kindness to others? These were the questions that hounded 59-year-old Laylah Sylverstone after recently moving into a quiet neighborhood in Woodstock, Illinois.

All eyes were fixed on her whenever her neighbors saw her with her twin babies. It felt as though she had committed some crime having tots at her age.

Poor Laylah was helpless, and nothing stopped her naysayers from gossiping about her. But one day, a brave older woman shut all their mouths and made them regret their words by revealing something about Laylah they never expected...

Laylah Sylverstone amassed negative attention whenever neighbors spotted her with her twin babies. | Source: Pexels

"Good morning, Pastor George. These are my two little angels," Laylah said on her Sunday visit to the church in her new neighborhood. She stood in front of the altar beside her twin stroller, waiting for the pastor to bless her babies.

"Ah, yes, Mrs. Sylverstone. They look lovely. What are their names?"

"This is Brad, and this is Alan."

"Well...well... They are adorable. How old are they?"

"They're six months old." Laylah's smile faded when she heard her neighbors buzzing about her from behind.

"She's the one...She moved in two weeks ago with these babies," said one woman.

"Oh my God, just look at her! She's so old! And is she their mother? Who on earth would want to have babies at this age?!" added another.

Laylah was deeply hurt but brushed their whispers off, thinking they would stop taunting her at some point. Shockingly enough, it only got worse day by day.

Laylah endured everyone's taunts for her babies' sake. | Source: Pixabay

"Here she comes. Hush, she might hear us," a woman who lived on the block near Laylah's whispered. "Wrinkled old lady with babies!"

Laylah clearly understood that they were giggling and gossiping about her. But she didn't mind because she felt she was too timid to fight back. She ignored their taunts and extended her hand toward the pharmacist, pointing at baby formula tins.

"I'll have four of them, please," Laylah said, taking out the cash from her bag. "How much?"

"$18 per tin, mam," the pharmacist said.

Laylah handed out the $72 for the four tins and walked out carrying them. Since the pharmacy was just a few minutes from her house, she left her babies home as they were fast asleep in their cribs.

"She should have known she can't breastfeed at this age!" the woman remarked as Laylah exited the store. "Kudos to whoever invented baby formula," the other giggled. "Or else this old mother wouldn't have had anything to feed her babies."

Naysayers taunted Laylah over her inability to breastfeed her babies. | Source: Pexels

Laylah was hurt beyond what words could express. She shed tears silently, but all that mattered were her babies. So she walked home, entered, and closed the door behind her. This was something Laylah had been doing since moving in. She never talked to anyone because she knew they would immediately discuss her pregnancy at her old age. She decided to avoid them and just mind her work.

One day, Laylah took the twins shopping and returned home pretty late. She saw a fire truck outside her house and firefighters running about, splashing water on her roof.

"Oh my God!... What just happened here? My house?" Laylah panicked and ran toward her home. "This can't be happening again! Why me?" she cried and ran toward her house. Just then, a fellow neighbor, Dorothy Adam, 62, stopped her and pulled her aside.

"I was walking past your house and saw smoke coming from the roof. I saw your house locked and immediately called 911," Dorothy said.

As it turned out, Laylah had forgotten to put off a candle in the attic. She had lit it up to search for an old photo album and left it there on the wooden stand. The candle had melted away onto the wood and set the attic ablaze.

Luckily, Dorothy's diligence saved the house from burning, and the attic's blazing embers were immediately put off.

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Adam. I am forever grateful to you," Laylah said, hugging the old woman. "Why don't you join me for tea in the evening. I'm sure my house will not smell of charring smoke by then!" Dorothy was pleased by the invite. She nodded and walked away.

Meanwhile, Laylah felt a ray of sunshine because Dorothy was the first person who had ever talked to her nicely since moving in. She was overwhelmed and prepared the best tea and snacks for her new friend. Ultimately, things took a different turn after Dorothy learned of Laylah's tear-jerking past.

Laylah was shocked when she saw firefighters putting off a fire in her house. | Source: Pixabay

That evening, the two women sipped their tea, indulging in a heartwarming conversation. Dorothy was curious to know why Laylah had babies in her 50s, so she slowly began asking her, ensuring her questions never sounded offensive.

"So, Mrs. Sylverstone. I was wondering about your family. Where is your husband? And...those babies? Are they really yours?"

An eerie silence took over Laylah's smile. Her joy melted into tears as she got up and climbed up the attic. Dorothy was baffled and thought she had offended her old friend. "Mrs. Sylverstone. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please come back...."

But Laylah had vanished into the attic and arrived a few minutes later with an old photo album in her hand. She sat beside Dorothy and flipped the album open, tears running down her face like never before.

"This is my daughter, Emily. And this is her husband, Jacob," Laylah said, pointing at a beautiful couple in the photo. "And this is me near my husband, Lewis."

Dorothy stared at the pictures, curious to know more. Then she saw Emily's pregnancy pictures and got curious.

"How adorable. Was she pregnant? And where is your family now?" Dorothy asked.

Laylah got up and pointed to the cribs in her bedroom. Shedding tears, she said, "They're there. They're all that I have now."

"Wha-what are you saying, Mrs. Sylverstone? You mean these are your grandchildren? Where are Emily and Jacob? Where is your husband, and what happened to them?"

Wiping her tears, Laylah revealed the truth finally. "I lost my husband, daughter, and son-in-law to a fire accident that burned down my house six months ago. I had taken my newborn grandsons to the park, and it was a narrow escape," she cried.

"I could not live there anymore. Those tragic memories were too painful for me to endure. So I sold my house and car and moved in here. I know it's cowardly to run away from my past, but I want to be there for my grandkids. I want to live for them, and they are the reason for my strength even in this pain."

Laylah had lost her beloved family in a housefire. | Source: Pexels

Dorothy was moved to tears after hearing this. She realized how the entire neighborhood had misinterpreted and misjudged poor Laylah and hurt her sentiments with their taunts. She sympathized with the woman and walked out with a heavy heart.

The next day, she accompanied Laylah and her babies to church. On the way, she overheard her neighbors pass mean comments about Laylah. But now that Dorothy knew the truth, she decided not to turn a deaf ear to their taunts anymore.

"ENOUGH! Don't you people have more important work than poking fun at this poor woman? Do you know why she's here? Do you have any idea what she's done? She has sacrificed everything to raise her orphaned grandchildren. Stop mocking her!"

"Orphans? Grandchildren?" the neighbors chorused in shock.

Later that evening, Dorothy gathered her neighbors and revealed Laylah's tragic past to them.

"So now you know why you should never judge people. It is none of our business to debate somebody's private matters. Everyone has their things to deal with, and we have ours. So, why don't we just bother about our problems instead of hurting someone else's sentiments?" Dorothy said, enlightening her neighbors with guilt and a lesson in life.

Moments later, all the neighbors went to see Laylah at her house. They brought lovely things for her grandsons and even homemade food for her.

"We're sorry, Mrs. Sylverstone. We deeply regret what we've been saying about you. You're one of us now. You and your grandchildren are always welcome to our house anytime!" they said.

Laylah's heart lightened, and she shed tears of joy, looking at Dorothy. From that day on, nobody poked fun at Laylah. They regarded her as family and always helped her, and the twins lived peacefully in their neighborhood.

The neighbors apologized to Laylah & helped her any way they could to raise her grandsons. | Source: Pixabay

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't be quick to judge. When Laylah moved into the new neighborhood with the babies, her neighbors scoffed at her for becoming a mother in her late 50s. They judged her wrongly without knowing the truth about her tragic past.
• Everyone has their sentiments. Do not hurt and poke fun at them without knowing the truth. Laylah's neighbors constantly ridiculed her for having babies at 59. But when they learned that the twins were her orphaned grandchildren, they regretted their mistake and apologized to her.

A wealthy older woman never missed a chance to mock a poor neighbor who worked as a builder. One day, her life drastically changed when a tornado hit, destroying her home and pride. Click here for the full story.

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.