Single Mom Sings in Metro to Feed Her Ailing Son, Businessman Hears Her Song & Kneels in Tears — Story of the Day

A poor mum struggling to feed her sick little son sings a song in exchange for alms at a metro station. One day, a rich man recognizes the lyrics and kneels before her, crying like a lost lamb that found its mother.

Rachel sat on the metro platform and watched people walk past her, minding their own business. The next train was arriving in a few minutes; she figured that out just by looking at the passengers getting ready to board it. But that was not what Rachel had come for.

"Mommy, I'm hungry, and my leg is hurting," spoke the frail, desperate voice of Dave, her six-year-old ailing son, lying on her lap.

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Rachel knew she had run out of money after spending everything on lunch. She placed an empty cup in front of her and began singing a song close to her heart...

The people distracted by her sweet voice seemed oblivious to her pain. Most were busy on their phones, some searching for a coin or two to toss into her cup, and some didn't even bother to look.

Rachel didn't care about their ignorance. She was there seeking alms in exchange for a song she hummed all her life. She stared at the dirty floor beneath her desperate eyes, wore a long face, and sang the melody she'd always sung her little boy to sleep.

"God, please help me overcome my struggles. Even if all these people put in a coin each, I'd have enough to buy my son dinner and an ointment," she thought while singing.

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A few minutes later, Rachel heard some coins tossed into her cup. She did not smile and painfully looked up to thank the person through her tears. It was understandable that she was just another desolate homeless person with a child, using her talent to make a living.

Several minutes passed as Rachel kept singing the song again and again. At first, nothing seemed unusual. The train arrived, and people started boarding it while a few others got off, flocking toward the main exit.

Rachel took a little break to see if her son was alright. "Dave, darling, just a few minutes more. And then move from here, alright?"

Dave puffed heavily. He was hungry and in pain due to his injured leg. Two days ago, Dave had a terrible fall while he was playing. It happened in the same parking lot where the mother and son usually slept on a stack of old cardboard gathered from the dumpster.

The train sped past the platform, jolting Rachel to the present. She coughed, adjusted her voice, and started to sing the melody again. But this time, a wealthy man who had just gotten off the train was eerily drawn to her voice and the lyrics. It was 27-year-old Jeffrey, who, for some reason, realized that he had heard this song before.

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"That song? I have heard it before. But who is singing it? And how does she know the lyrics that only my granny, sister, and I knew?" he wondered, approaching the spot where Rachel was.

As Jeffrey neared the spot, tears slowly rose in his eyes. Rachel was immersed in her sweet melody when a long shadow of a man fell on her, distracting her.

"Oh my God! RACHEL, is it you? Jesus, I am so sorry," sobbed Jeffrey, falling to his knees. "Please forgive me for doing this to you, SISTER."

Rachel's heart began to throb faster. It felt like it wanted to plop out of its chamber because, at that moment, all of Rachel's past pain came rushing back.

"Brother? Oh my God, Jeffrey, is it you?" she cried.

The siblings stared at each other in tears, looking back at that one mistake Jeffrey made 18 years ago that cost Rachel more than just her happiness.

When Jeffrey and Rachel were little, they lost their parents in a car crash. They moved in with their grandma, Alice, who cared for them in their parents' shoes. She was all that they had.

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Whenever the siblings were depressed thinking about their parents, she often sang them a beautiful melody to comfort them. "Sing this song whenever your heart feels heavy. And you will feel much better," she often said, cradling Jeffrey and Rachel in her arms.

The family was happy with the little they had. There were no troubles in their paradise until one day when Alice died of a heart attack. Her loss was unbearable, and the kids were sent to a shelter before they could even get over it or mourn properly. It was here that Jeffrey got a new beginning to mend his life.

A wealthy couple adopted him while Rachel stayed back. Nobody wanted her because she limped. They just saw her disability, not her heart, which longed for love and care. Rachel was crushed, but she was comforted when Jeffrey promised to return for her. But who knew that he would break her heart along with that promise?

"I promise to come back for you, sister. Stay strong and wait for me. I'll come and take you with me," nine-year-old Jeffrey promised before bidding a painful goodbye to his sister. That fateful day was the last time when Rachel saw Jeffrey. He never came back for her.

Jeffrey was allured by his newfound wealthy life and slowly forgot about his little sister and his promise to her. He assumed somebody would adopt her, but fate had something else in store for poor Rachel.

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Rachel was of her own accord when she moved out of the shelter after turning 18. She fell in love with a man and dreamed of raising a family together. Rachel was young, beautiful, and madly in love. She trusted him and believed he would be her everything, but she was wrong.

Rachel's dreams ended the day her boyfriend dumped her when she revealed her pregnancy. Having lost all hope in life, she pulled herself together to live for her baby, feeding off the pain inside her.

Poor Rachel found no job as nobody was ready to take her in without prior experience. They only saw her disability as an evil excuse not to hire her.

Struggles kept piling up in Rachel's life, but her only reason to smile was when she first held baby Dave in her hands. She was homeless but was determined not to starve her son. With all the courage she could muster, Rachel went to various metro and bus stations daily and sang the song her grandma had taught in exchange for alms.

"...And this is what I've been doing to raise my son," she cried. Jeffrey's guilt-ridden conscience began questioning him, and he had no answer. The young man, who was now a wealthy business tycoon who'd taken after his adoptive dad's business, did the unthinkable as onlookers watched.

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"Sis, I'm sorry. I know it is a small word compared to the struggles you endured. But I promise to make your days better from now on," he said, scooping an ailing Dave up in his arms. Rachel was shocked and got up, struggling to balance herself on a stick owing to the limp.

Jeffrey wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulder and said, "Let's go home, sis!"

That day, Jeffrey and Rachel reunited after 18 dreadful years of separation. Besides giving them shelter in his luxe house, Jeffrey paid for his little nephew's treatment. He hired a spa therapist to groom his sister and gave her a makeover that no longer reminded her of the ugly emotional scars she endured all her life.

The world today is so competitive, and most keep racing after money. But does that mean one can easily forget about their loved ones? Do you think siblings like Jeffrey need to respect relationships and not trade that love for money?

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What can we learn from this story?

• Money is just a material possession compared to genuine relationships. When a wealthy couple adopted Jeffrey, he promised his sister Rachel he would come for her. But he was absorbed by his newfound rich life and forgot his promise. He deserted Rachel and forgot about her existence until meeting her at the metro station 18 years later.
• Every struggle will end one day if you have faith in God. Despite her hard times, Rachel always asked God for a good change in her life. Her prayer was answered when her estranged brother reunited with her that same day.

An older woman buys food for two lost children and helps them find their way back home, knowing little circumstances would lead her to revisit a beautiful moment of her own past. Click here to read 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.