Elderly Thinks Driver Is Taking Her to Care Home, Realizes He's Turned into Woods — Story of the Day

Sitting in the backseat of the car, an elderly woman's heart sank when she realized the driver was taking her into the woods. "Why are you driving in the wrong direction?" she tapped his shoulder, but the man didn't respond until they reached their destination.

Even after turning 72, Suzanne didn't want to rest like other people her age. She was energetic and wanted to work all day on her farm, growing corn and potatoes. She lived in a small farmhouse on the outskirts of the city her son worked in. She yearned to meet James, but he never had time for her.

She had sent James to study in the city but didn't realize that sending him away meant he would never return. He had married a girl he met at work and was living a content life with her. At 42, James worked as an attorney at one of the best firms in town. His busy schedule didn't allow him to spend time with his family.

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Despite missing her son, Suzanne was immensely proud of how far he had come in life. She felt relieved knowing he was at a good place in his life, which helped her live happily in her small farmhouse until an unexpected incident turned her life upside down.

It was a regular day for Suzanne when she returned home after working tirelessly on the farm. She had harvested many fresh vegetables and couldn't wait to send them to her son and sell some in the market.

"It looks like they cut the power again!" she grumbled upon seeing her dark house. Struggling to make her way to the kitchen in the dark, she grabbed a candle from the drawer and lit it up.

"Oh, I'm so tired!" she stretched her arms before sitting on the sofa. "I'll wait for the power to return."

Leaning on the headrest, Suzanne didn't realize when she had drifted off. A few minutes later, she awoke to a terrifying sight―a blazing fire engulfed her wooden furniture and walls. She felt her heart skip a beat as she stood up and rushed towards the door.

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Luckily, she escaped on time, but no one could save her farmhouse. Since she lived away from the city, it took time for the firefighters to arrive, allowing the fire to destroy everything. She was only left with burnt furniture once the first responders extinguished the fire.

When James learned about the unfortunate incident, he rushed out of the city to rescue his elderly mother. Upon reaching there and assessing the situation, he realized he needed to take Suzanne back to his apartment because she had lost everything.

"It's okay, Mom," he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and caressed it, "It's okay. Don't worry, please. You can live with me in the city."

Moving into her son's apartment meant Suzanne would spend her entire day in a small space. She wasn't fond of using devices, watching TV, or resting on the bed. She wanted to utilize her energy by working, but living with James meant changing her lifestyle.

Adapting to her new lifestyle felt like she had extinguished the fire within her. She would spend all day in her son's apartment after he and his wife left for work. She'd stand near the window and watch cars move like ants on the road from the tenth floor.

Suzanne believed she was not made to live indoors. She felt at peace outdoors, but the city didn't offer such opportunities. She could only stroll in the park in the middle of the concrete jungle that her son lived in.

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A few days after Suzanne moved in with her son, she noticed he had stopped having breakfast with her. He would stay late at work while his wife would return home but stay inside her room. Their behavior made Suzanne feel unwanted. She thought they didn't care about her, so she discussed her worries with her son.

"James, I need to talk to you about something important," she said while sitting in the living room the next day.

"Mom, I'm getting late for work," James replied, looking at his smartwatch.

"It won't take long, I promise," Suzanne said while fidgeting with her fingers.

Once James sat beside her, she told him how lonely she felt living in his apartment. "I don't want to be a burden for you both," she said. "I think you should drop me at a nursing home."

"Why, Mom?" James looked at her in shock. "You don't need to live in a nursing home when your son can keep you in his apartment."

"But―"

"Just wait, Mom," he said while standing up. "I'll make some more arrangements for you, okay? Now I'm leaving for work."

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James and his wife left for work as usual while Suzanne stared at the walls, sitting alone in the guest bedroom. Later that evening, James returned home and introduced his mother to a girl he had hired as a nurse-cum-maid.

"Mom, she's going to take care of you from now on," James smiled. "She will cook for you, bring you food, wash your clothes, and do whatever you say."

While James believed he was helping his mother by hiring a maid, Suzanne thought her son didn't want her. She didn't want anyone to help her with house chores because she had done everything herself all her life.

James often saw his mother cry in her bedroom. One day, he went inside her room and consoled her while she was weeping silently.

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"Mom, please don't cry," he said while hugging her. "I love you and want you to stay with me in my apartment."

"I don't want to stay here because I know I am a burden," Suzanne said. "James, I want you to sell the piece of land left of my farmhouse."

"Why, Mom?" James asked curiously.

"So you can pay the nursing home fee," she cried. "I want you to send me to a nursing home soon. I don't want to live here!"

"Okay, Mom. Calm down, please," James held her hand.

Suzanne couldn't understand why her son wasn't obeying her. She thought it was weird of him to keep delaying whatever she said because he always listened to her. She felt something was fishy but didn't know what it was until a few months later.

During this time, Suzanne kept telling James to send her to a nursing home, but he would only ask her to wait. The elderly woman was sure he wouldn't sell her land because his work kept him occupied. She thought he lied about waiting for a good deal because he wanted her to stay in his apartment.

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One day, James entered Suzanne's bedroom and asked her to pack her belongings. "Mom, I want you to sign these documents before you leave," he said and gave a file to his mother.

As James had expected, Suzanne signed the papers without reading them. "Thank you, Mom!" James said. "You can leave in a few days. Until then, please ensure you have packed everything."

Suzanne was unhappy about leaving her son's house but felt this was better for her and James. A few days later, James called her and said he was sending his friend to pick her up.

"Mom, I'm sorry I can't come to pick you up because of my work, but my friend will drive you to your destination," he said. "I hope you won't mind."

"No problem, James," Suzanne faked a laugh. "It's fine as long as your friend drops me at a nursing home."

Suzanne lied to her son but was glad she wouldn't have to live in his apartment. She wanted to live independently as she did before her farmhouse caught fire.

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A few minutes later, Suzanne was sitting in the backseat of a car while James' friend drove it. She looked out the window, feeling emotional about leaving her son's apartment. She kept thinking about her son on the way when suddenly something strange caught her attention.

While looking outside, she realized James' friend was driving her out of town. She knew the nursing home was in the city's center, which meant the driver was taking her in the opposite direction.

Suzanne feared confronting the driver could lead her to trouble, so she called her son instead. Pick up! Pick up! she thought, but James did not answer her call. After calling him multiple times, Suzanne's feet started trembling with fear.

While the car was moving on a straight road, Suzanne hoped the driver would still take her to another nursing home. She felt safe until the car suddenly turned into the woods. The elderly lady's heart skipped a beat watching the vehicle move under the dark shadow of long, lush green trees.

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"Why have you turned the car towards the woods? Where are you taking me?" she asked while tapping his shoulder. She began crying when he did not respond.

"My son wants to get rid of me, doesn't he?" she cried. "What did he tell you? Where are you taking me?"

While looking outside, Suzanne suddenly realized she had seen this place before. A few moments later, the driver pulled over outside a familiar neighborhood, but the elderly lady couldn't believe her eyes. She was almost about to cry when James' friend helped her get out of the car.

Suzanne stood in her old neighborhood in front of a brand-new farmhouse James had built for her. She realized he always told her to wait because he wasn't selling her land. He was busy building a new house for his mother.

While the elderly lady wiped tears off her cheeks, she saw James walking towards her. "Surprise, Mom!" he exclaimed and hugged her. "I'm sorry it took me a lot of time to renovate your farmhouse. I hope you like it!"

"I love it, James!" Suzanne rested her head on his shoulder and thanked him.

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James took his mother inside the new house and showed her around. "This is your room, Mom," he said. "I've built it exactly how you wanted it to be."

Suzanne felt extremely delighted to learn how her son had put so much effort into renovating her farmhouse. She felt happy upon seeing the spark in his eyes as he told her about the details in every room.

A few hours later, the elderly lady was sipping coffee in her new house when the doorbell rang. "I'll see who it is," James said and went to answer the door.

"Oh, Mom!" he exclaimed. "Look who's here!"

"We're so happy to have you back!" Suzanne's neighbors cheered before she could turn around to see who was at the door.

"Oh, my God!" Suzanne put her hand on her chest. She was shocked to see everyone.

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The elderly lady followed her neighbors outside and was stunned to see an adorable calf on her front porch. "We want you to raise this baby on your new farmhouse!" a neighbor said.

"Oh, thank you!" Suzanne hugged the little calf. "He's so cute!"

"Suzanne, you are so lucky to have a son like James," a woman said. "We saw him work tirelessly to renovate this space, and we love how it looks now!"

"This is the least I could do for my Mom," James interrupted.

Suzanne spent the entire evening with her neighbors, remembering how much fun they used to have together on the farm. She had a fantastic time with everyone after so long.

The elderly lady spent the next few months growing vegetables on her farm and raising her baby calf. She felt delighted to return to her everyday life while her son visited her frequently.

A year later, Suzanne met a widowed farmer and couldn't help but fall in love with him. She loved spending time with him and even introduced him to James, who was happy to see his mother living life to the fullest.

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What can we learn from this story?

• Show your parents how much you love them. James always told Suzanne he loved her, but she never truly believed it until he renovated her farmhouse. Some situations require children to prove their love, and they shouldn't hesitate.
• Fate replaces bad events with good things. Suzanne was at her lowest when her farmhouse burned down, but she never thought her son would rebuild her home from scratch. She was surprised when she saw the house and felt grateful.

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Click here to read another story about a daughter who was ashamed of her mother and made her pretend to be her maid in front of her fiancé.

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.