A greedy brother inherits their grandmother’s house and mocks his younger sister, who receives just five old clocks. But neither could have imagined what those clocks would truly mean.
“Oh, so Grandma called you too?” Brian, 26, scoffed at his younger sister Linda, 19. “I thought you’d be busy in the library… like the little bookworm you are.”
Linda stepped out of the taxi, her heart pounding with anxiety. She kept trying to reassure herself, “Grandma will be okay. Nothing will happen to her. She’ll live for a hundred more years.”
Linda and Brian had come to visit their 90-year-old grandmother, Marlene, who had urgently requested their presence.
“Sweethearts, I want to see you one last time. I might not get another chance,” Marlene had painfully said to them over the phone two days earlier.
As Linda entered her grandmother’s bedroom, she noticed how dusty it was. Marlene was too frail to take care of her home, and it showed—unswept floors and a ceiling moldy from leaks. Seeing her grandmother’s living conditions brought tears to Linda’s eyes.
“Grandma!” Linda called out as she rushed to Marlene’s bedside and hugged her. “You’ll be okay, Grandma. Please don’t worry. God won’t take you from us—you’re all we have.”
Up until a year ago, Linda had lived with Marlene, taking care of her. She even considered declining her life-changing scholarship to stay, but Marlene had insisted she move to the city for her education.
Brian walked into the room, coughing exaggeratedly. “Wow, I think I’m allergic to dust! Grandma, haven’t you cleaned in ages?” he teased, clearly showing no concern for her well-being.
Marlene took Linda’s trembling hand in hers and looked at Brian. Linda felt her heart ache to see her grandmother so pale, her eyes lacking their usual sparkle.
With a small smile, Marlene gently sat up and pulled two envelopes from under her pillow. “This is for both of you,” she said. “Use it wisely.”
Linda and Brian opened their envelopes to find $5,000 each. Linda’s eyes filled with tears, and she ran out of the room, her emotions getting the best of her.
Brian, meanwhile, frowned. “Just this much? I thought you had more to give.” He turned away and left without a word of thanks.
The next morning, Marlene awoke to a surprise.
“Good morning, Grandma!” Linda’s cheerful voice echoed through the room. Marlene hadn’t expected her granddaughter to return.
Linda opened the curtains, letting sunlight stream into the dark room. Marlene was surprised to see Linda—she thought Linda had returned to the city to resume her studies and her part-time librarian job.
Linda approached Marlene with the envelope she had received the day before. “I added $4,000 from my savings. Now we have $9,000, Grandma. We can pay for your eye surgery,” she said softly.
Marlene shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. “It’s too late for surgery, darling. I can feel my time coming. I don’t want to use the money this way. It could be put to better use.”
Linda wiped away Marlene’s tears. “Then I’ll use it to make you smile, Grandma. I’ve taken a month off—I’m not leaving until I see that golden smile back on your face.”
Having Linda around made a world of difference for Marlene. Linda cooked for her, making sure she was well taken care of, and gradually, Marlene began to regain some strength. Life was brighter with Linda there, and Marlene felt a happiness she hadn’t known in a long time.
One day, Marlene heard voices outside her room and went to see what was happening. She was stunned to find strangers working on her home. Linda had used the $9,000 to hire contractors to fix the leaks and renovate the house.
“I knew you always wanted Grandpa’s house to be repaired,” Linda said. “I wanted you to see it as beautiful as it was when you and Grandpa were here together.”
Marlene hugged Linda, her fragile arms trembling. She cried more on Linda’s shoulder that day than she ever had before.
Marlene always wished, “I want to leave this world when I’m at my happiest.” A week later, her wish came true—Marlene passed away peacefully in her sleep, leaving Linda with more than just a broken heart.
A few days after the funeral, Linda and Brian were summoned to the lawyer’s office for the reading of Marlene’s will. Neither of them had known there was a will.
“Mr. White,” the lawyer began, addressing Brian, “according to your grandmother’s will, you will inherit her house. Please sign these papers.”
Linda felt a pang of sadness. She wasn’t jealous, but she worried—she had renovated the house, and now her indifferent brother was inheriting it.
“And Miss Linda,” the lawyer continued, pushing a box toward her, “this is for you.”
Linda opened the box to find five old, rusty clocks. Brian burst into laughter. “Are you serious? I got the house, and you got a bunch of old clocks? Looks like Grandma knew who deserved the best!” he mocked.
Linda felt disheartened but took the clocks back to the city with her. She didn’t pay much attention to them until one day, she noticed an engraving on one.
“OPEN IT!” was inscribed elegantly.
Curious, Linda opened the clock and found a small scroll hidden inside. She carefully unfolded it and sat in shock as she read.
“Never underestimate these old clocks, Linda. They are 100-year-old timepieces crafted from rare metals. Each is worth $40,000!” began the note.
Linda’s eyes filled with tears as she read on.
“Everyone gets what they truly deserve, Linda. I’m glad you got the best. With all my love, Grandma Marlene.”
Linda hugged the clocks, tears streaming down her face. They still ticked, the sound comforting her. It felt as if her grandmother was right there with her.
Linda decided not to tell Brian about her discovery. “Let him think he got the best,” she thought. “Granny knew who truly deserved it, and I don’t need to prove that to him.”
What Can We Learn From This Story?
Everyone gets what they truly deserve. Brian mocked Linda for inheriting only five old clocks, not knowing they were worth over $40,000 each, giving her an inheritance of nearly $200,000.
Love and take care of your elders without expecting anything in return. Linda’s unconditional love for her grandmother led her to inherit a priceless legacy.
Share this story with your friends—it might brighten their day and remind them to cherish the people they love.
