Little Harry was only seven years old. He lived in a small farming community with his mother, who worked as a seamstress. His father had worked as a farmer on the surrounding lands with a bunch of other workers, but as a result of a tragic accident, he died when Harry was five. His mother was left to raise him all by herself with the meager salary that she earned. It was a small community with a low population, so she did not get much work.
Harry loved his mother very much and wished he was old enough so that he could get a job and help her with their finances. In the meantime, he helped out as much as he could around the house just to make his mother’s life easier. He would go to the store to get their groceries for the week, and he would clean the house from top to toe. When had finished all of his chores, he went to play with his friends in the forest that almost surrounded their village. The trees grew thick and wild, and when the leaves blew in the wind, they sounded like a waterfall in the distance. His friends would imagine they were in a faraway land, filled with magical creatures like dragons and fairies.
A Daring Game
Inside the forest, there was a large house that had a massive set of stone stairs leading up to the front door. Harry and his friends would often sit in the trees at the bottom of the stairs and imagine who might live inside the mansion. One of his friends, Simon, believed there was an old woman who lived there. He swore that he had seen her casting spells one day, so they all assumed the woman was a witch that would gobble them up if they got too close to the house. One day, Simon jumped down from the branch he was sitting on and ran up the stairs. Everyone was whispering to him, trying to call him back. Simon lifted his foot and touched the first step. Quickly, he ran back to the safety of his friends and the trees with a triumphant look on his face. He boasted about his bravery and made a bet with his friends that no one would be able to get as close to the house as he did.
Harry looked at his friend in awe. He truly was very brave for getting so close to the witch’s house. They soon realized that it was getting late, and their parents were going to start wondering where they were. They jumped down from the tree and started their journey home. Suddenly, Harry heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. They all stopped and stared with bated breath. What could be lurking in the forest, they all felt a little nervous now, waiting for a monster to jump out. Or worse, the witch from the mansion.
Harry and the Witch
The rustling grew louder and louder until suddenly an old woman appeared a few meters away from them. The children screamed and ran to the nearest tree which they clambered up and tried to hide. The old woman barely seemed to notice them, but the kids were too scared to climb down. Harry watched as the old lady struggled to walk up the slight incline. He realized she was going to the house, but she seemed to be in pain of some sort. Harry suddenly felt bad for the woman, he knew she still had to climb all those stairs by herself. She already looked worn out.
His friends panicked as he jumped down from the tree. He told them to wait there, but all of them tried to call him back. They said the witch was going to eat him up, but Harry was not scared. He walked up to the old woman and offered her his elbow. A look of relief washed over her face, and she smiled at Harry. He helped her up the stairs, all the while he could feel his friend’s eyes on him, waiting to see what happened. When they reached the top of the stairs she thanked him and asked if he would like to come in for some milk and cookies. He didn’t feel any weird vibes from her, so he agreed. He found the thought of his friends watching him from the forest quite amusing, this woman was not a witch after all.
Inside the house was even grander than the outside. Harry could not help but feel his jaw drop when they got into the foyer. The finishes in the house were like nothing he had ever seen before. She guided him towards the kitchen where she gave him a place with one watch cookies and a glass of cool milk. She watched him as he gobbled them down, and told him stories about how she came to be there all alone.
Read: After Grandmother’s Death in a Nursing Home, Man Inherits an Envelope with Several Dollar Bills – a Short Story
Her Son had Passed Away
Harry learned that her husband had been a great businessman, and he had bought this farm when they were still in their early days of marriage. He rented sections of the farm to other farmers who grew a variety of things. One of these farmers was Harry’s dad, and the woman smiled when she remembered the day he signed the lease. Harry’s heart was brimming with emotion, he barely had any memories of his dad, so he lapped up these accounts from the old woman. Harry asked where her children were, and the woman’s expression dropped. She told him that she had always wanted children, but her husband did not have the time. He was more interested in the business than raising a child. She had loved him dearly, and it was a mutual feeling, so she compromised by getting many cats to look after. He died a few years back, so she now lives alone.
Harry asked her how she manages all by herself, he suddenly felt very concerned about her health. Apparently, she had hired a woman to come in once a week to take her into town, but after she fell pregnant with her first child, those trips to town became less frequent. That was why she was walking alone in the forest. She had tried to get to the store to buy some milk and bread, but the walk was too long for her to do alone. Her legs just were not what they used to be. Harry felt bad for her and asked if he could help. She smiled and agreed to the plan, expressing her gratitude. They made a plan that Harryould come to her house every Friday and take her to town and help with her errands.
Read: Sons Who Leave Sick Mother Alone Find Out She Left All Inheritance to Her Tenants – a Short Story
One day, she was not there
A few months went by with their weekly excursions. One day, Harry knocked on the front door of her house, and she never answered. He knocked a few more times, but still, no one came. Worried, he walked around to the back of the house trying to find a way in. Hearing a car pull into the driveway, Harry ran back around to the front of the house. His mother was in the car, which Harry thought was weird. She told him to get in, they had to go meet someone. His heart was hammering, and Harry wondered if the old woman was okay.
They drove to a building in the town nearby, and Harry could read the sign above the door. It was a lawyer’s office. Confused, /harry let his mother lead him into the room, and there he saw the old woman. He gave her a huge hug of relief saying how happy he was that she was okay. She smiled and hugged him back, telling him that this just proved her decision was the right one even more. When Harry asked what she meant, the old woman sat down and gestured for everyone to do the same.
An Ultimate Blessing
They drove to a building in the town nearby, and Harry could read the sign above the door. It was a lawyer’s office. Confused, /harry let his mother lead him into the room, and there he saw the old woman. He gave her a huge hug of relief saying how happy he was that she was okay. She smiled and hugged him back, telling him that this just proved her decision was the right one even more. When Harry asked what she meant, the old woman sat down and gestured for everyone to do the same.
The old woman told Harry and his mother how grateful she was for Harry’s kind heart and pure generosity. She had no children of her own, so it was her wish for Harry to have her mansion when she passed away. Harry’s mother gasped in disbelief, but the woman was not done. The mansion was part of a massive property that included each of the farms that Harry’s father once rented. Harry was to be the owner of the farm!
A House Worth $1.8million!
The old woman’s house alone was worth at least $1.8million! She asked her lawyer for the document which she signed right there and then, and gave Harry’s mother another document to sign that said she was power of attorney for the property until harry came of age. Harry was over the moon! Finally, he could give back to his mother for all the years of hard work. They would no longer have to pay rent or struggle to put food on the table. All of their struggles would soon be over. The old woman also offered for them to move in with her until she passes, saying she would enjoy the company in her last years.
Harry and his mother moved in the next week and he became the talk of the town. The boy who lived with the witch in the woods. But, Harry knew the woman was the furthest thing from being a witch.
Keep Reading: Daughter Inherits Nothing but Old Jacket from Millionaire Dad, Sees Tiny Pocket Sewn to It — a Short Story
This story was inspired by an original piece of fiction that first appeared on AmoMama. Any similarities between this story and actual people is purely coincidental.
