16-year-old Joey leaves home to follow his dreams after leaving his mother behind when she lost her husband. After thirteen years, he goes back home to see her but finds the house empty and only a badly burned note.
Joey moved out of his parents’ house when he was 16 years old because he was eager and wanted to do more than live in a small town. He left a goodbye note next to his mother Flora’s old sewing machine.
“Mom, You’ll be back by evening, but I’m not going home. Joey wrote in his letter, “No, I wasn’t kidnapped; I just finally chose to run away.”
“I will always love you, no matter where I go.” I am sorry. Watch out. “With love, Joey”
Joey knew he would miss it when the tall trees around the farm and the loud clucking of the hens and chickens were gone.
His full bag was strapped to his back.
After taking one last look at the house he and his mother had lived in together since his father died, Joey turned around and left without looking back.
Flora waited all day for her son, who had said he would help but never showed up on the farm. She had no idea what Joey had planned.
Joey loved his mother, but the life she had planned for him on the farm made him feel trapped. He felt that his goal of becoming a doctor would not be reached if he stayed.
He tried to get Flora to sell the farm and move to the city, but she wouldn’t because she had ties to the area and remembered his late father. Joey had to leave, even though it meant losing his mother and the way they lived, because he wasn’t ready to give up on his goals.
As he got closer to the highway and got ready to ride to the city, he thought of his mother making dinner plans and hearing her voice.
Joey began her journey into the city. He thought about what he was doing and how much he was risking by taking the bus. Dan, his friend, had offered him a job, which would help him start his new life in the city.
When Joey got to downtown, he quickly called his friend on a payphone. Joey was shocked to learn that the short cab ride to Dan’s house would cost $30. But Dan had told him to do that. When he got to Dan’s house, he was glad to see that he was safe and well after a rough trip.
But after that expensive and tiring day, he was less hopeful. Joey shook his head and said, “I came here with big dreams, but now I’m not sure.”
Dan made him feel better by telling him he wouldn’t charge him rent until Joey was used to his new job at a food store. Telling him, “Don’t worry, everything will be okay,” “Soon, you’ll be making enough to pay your bills.”
After hearing what his friend said, Joey felt better. He asked in a hurry, “When can I start?”
Dan told him, “Don’t worry, it’s a great chance, and you’ll make a lot of money.”
Joey quickly learned that the tasks of his new life were bigger than the ones in his old one. The desire to call his mother Flora was stronger than the happiness he felt from getting his first paycheck.
He wanted to tell everyone how great it was that he did, but he was scared that they would try to get him to go back home.
Joey told himself, “I’ll get more money, then I’ll call her.” He saw the money as a step toward his goal of going to medical school.
But his hopes were dashed when Dan suddenly asked for $1,000, which was almost all of Joey’s salary, and said that the rent and food bills were due on payday.
It looked like Joey would never be able to go to college because of how hard the winter was and how little money he had coming in.
“What am I going to do now?” he asked himself.
Every day, Joey was getting ready to eat lunch outside when an old man slipped and fell on an icy part of the road. He quickly stepped in to help and straightened out the old man. He then brought him a bottle of water.
The old man sat down next to Joey and said his name was Mr. Clark.
As he pulled a card out of his pocket, Mr. Clark said, “You’re an amazing young man.” Joey, please call me. “Hey, young man, I’d like to know more about you.”
Joey didn’t know what to think about the situation, so he smiled and put the card away. However, when he thought about the old man again, he chose to go see him.
“Hey, Joey!” Hey, son! With a smile, the old man said, “I knew you’d call me.” Joey just asked Mr. Clark how he was, feeling better. The old man answered, then quickly changed the subject to why he really gave the man his business card.
Mr. Clark was in charge of a grant fund for kids with goals like Joey’s. I heard him whisper, “A scholarship?”
To which Joey replied, “Yes, sir. a full scholarship with money for travel and lodging. All you have to do is focus on your classes.”
He could finally reach his goal without having to worry about money. It almost seemed too good to be true. But Mr. Clark was kind and honest. And the strong urge to call his mother came back. She didn’t want to hear more from Joey, so he did. That’s how thirteen years went by.
Joey raised a glass to his success at his graduation as a doctor with the person who made it all possible. “You’ve done it, Joey, young man!” “I’m proud of you, and I know your mother would be too,” Mr. Clark said.
“Soon…soon!” Joey promised, but the thought of seeing his mother again after being away for a long time broke his heart.
After buying Flora a simple house, Joey finally decided to go home and drove back with a smile on his face.
He was shocked and stunned when he saw how bad the house was. Because everything was empty and no one was there, it looked like nothing had happened in years.
There was about two inches of dust on the windows, and the grass around them was too long. Before he went inside, Joey could feel his nerves getting worse as he got out of his car.
Hearing no answer, he knocked and yelled, “Mom! Mom!” His voice echoed through the house, and he pushed right through the door.
Joey looked all over the house but couldn’t find his mother. He was even more worried because the inside of the house was just as empty as the outside. He called his mom’s number right away, but no matter how many times he tried, no one answered.
Joey felt bad about not calling her after all these years because he knew how stupid it was of him not to.
“Is she—” He was having so many thoughts that he couldn’t put them into words. He also didn’t know what he would do if they came true. His search didn’t end, and he went through every crack and nook of the house.
Just as he was about to give up, he looked over at the fireplace and was shocked to see a letter sticking out from under the ashes and dust. He bowed down right away to get it, but he didn’t notice that his name was written right on top of it.
He read this with tears in his eyes:
“Joey, sweetheart, I miss you a lot. After you left me, where did you go?
“I wish we hadn’t split up.” If I had known that you were going to leave me and disappear in this way, I would have agreed to travel with you instead.
“Please come back, Joey.” I miss you a lot. There is nothing that can ever replace you.
I’m going to die here by myself. The house feels so empty without you here, and my heart hurts more and more. I hope that—
The rest was turned into ash.
Joey wiped away his tears, made up his mind to find his mother, and tried to get help. As he went outside, he ran into their past neighbor.
It’s Mr. Colins. Joey took a deep breath and said, “I’m looking for my mom.” “I just got back.”
Someone asked, “Are you Flora’s son? The boy who ran away thirteen years ago?” Mr. Colins asked with his eyes narrowed.
Yes, of course. Where is my mom? She’s not at home. Do you know anything that she told you? He asked with a shaking voice.
Mr. Colins told everyone that Joey’s mother had been taken to the hospital. When I thanked him, he quickly left. Joey said to his mom in the cab, “Please…please be okay.” He was scared.
When he found Flora’s room, he yelled “MOM!” and walked over to her.
As soon as Flora opened her eyes, she jumped up and wrapped her arms around Joey. “JOEY…my boy!” she yelled, tears of joy running down her face.
He cried again because he couldn’t let go. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call or email you sooner… He broke down and said, “I didn’t want to let you down.”
Flora didn’t care about Joey’s apology. Joey, explain further. I’d like to listen to you.Oh, your voice! “How I missed hearing that voice…and laughter,” she said as she messed with his hair.
Joey talked about how he became a doctor, from how hard it was to live in the city to how he got a scholarship from Mr. Clark. He told Flora that he was going to fix up the farm and made her live with him in the city while the home was being fixed up.
Flora didn’t think about her nod. After being apart for so long, they didn’t want to be apart again, not even for a short time.
