A Surprise For Steven

Steven stood before the house, not believing his eyes or luck. He couldn't believe that the place he had been visiting for so long was finally his. It almost felt like he was visiting the house for the first time.

The house held so many memories for him; at one point, he had spent more time at this house than even his parent's house. Yes, the place indeed felt like his own. Steven felt happy and excited all at the same time. It was the beginning of a new life for him for sure.

Something Amiss

He made use of the key that the lawyer had given him. He inserted the key, unable to insert it properly as he felt so excited. He fiddled with it for some time before the door opened to let him into familiar surroundings.

The house and the feel looked familiar again; yes, he felt like he was at home. The house and everything were placed exactly as he had remembered it. But something had changed, and he noticed it as soon as he entered the house. He was surprised and a little shocked. Let us know here why was he surprised?

What Just Happened?

There was a large suitcase that was lying on the table. It surprised him because it had his name written on it. Also, it had his name written on it, which was unexpected. Suddenly he felt a little curious about what could be in the suitcase?

His hands were shaking as he flipped open the suitcase and was shocked beyond words. Why did the woman do this? We must know a little more about the story to understand what happened.

Elly's Backstory

Among the two protagonists of the story, there is Elly Barnes, the 96-year-old woman who lives in rural Alaska. She used to live around the place and was utterly in love with it. She loved the area as much as her husband, with whom she had spent 72 years of her life.

It was perhaps the openness of the rural land that was her favorite. And she loved spending time on the porch with her husband as one season led to another. But the simplicity of her life soon changed utterly.

Tragedy Strikes When You Least Expect It

Ely's life changed completely when Peter suddenly left her to make the journey to his heavenly abode. He was hospitalized and soon after breathed his last. Elly was shocked because she had not even thought that Peter would leave him so suddenly. Peter was also healthier than the two.

Elly couldn't imagine life without Peter, and she didn't know what he was to her till he passed away. Suddenly, the house they had built so lovingly would be empty. Yes, it would be a very lonely journey she was not looking forward to at all. 

Rooted to The Place

Elly's and Peter's daughters asked Elly to move to Boston or Dallas. Although Elly and Peter had loved the place and called Alaska one of their own, the same couldn't be said of their children, who moved away at the first opportunity they could get. They moved toward the continental United States.

But since Elly had been living in Alaska for so long and was used to country life, she could not even think of moving to the city. She has lived in Alaska for so long that she couldn't think of moving away.

Together In School

Elly has been living in Alaska since childhood, and she met Peter on the first day of her school. Back then, kids could not do much except ride bicycles and play in the yards. Their town was too small to pack in too many activities. As the two grew up, Elly started dreaming about getting married to Peter.

Soon enough, they began working towards their goal of leading a good life together. Fortunately, things turned out exactly as they had planned, which was great. They started their life on a great note.

Fresh Spate of Problems

Once the duo married, Elly and Peter tried hard to find steady work, but life wasn't easy for them. They had big dreams of building a big home for themselves, but sadly, they couldn't afford more than a single bedroom and just a tiny living area.

It wasn't what they had thought it to be, but they did their best to make it work. However, the house begged to comply and needed repairs often, which drained their savings. However, they still chose to be happy, which is a blessing.

On The Mend

The house had to undergo many repairing jobs, and any other person would just give up on it and abandon it. When Peter died, the place went through a lot of transformations.

It felt like the house had been repaired several times when Peter passed away. Elly didn't want to let go of the house as it held too many memories. With winter on the horizon, she did not know whether the house could bear the harsh winters. She did not know whether the house would be able to endure another winter. 

Help At Hand

Elly was popular among her neighbors, and she could seek help from one of her neighbors who stayed relatively close to her house; in fact, it was just a 10-minute walk away from her home.

Elly was scared that there were just too many repairing works to be done; there were not only leaking roofs but also damaged windows. And how many times could Elly's neighbors come to her aid? They have been friends for years and offered to help her get the house back in the proper order.

Not A Welcoming Place

Elly's neighbors were closer to her age and couldn't help much with the hard work, and Elly's houses needed a lot of labor. Their neighbors were also worried about her son, Steven, who'd been homeless for many years.

Steven found that his mother's neighbors were not friendly with him; he felt they were too judgemental about his past. This is one of the reasons that made him a little apprehensive about the town, and his mother's neighbors,s too, were a tad bit worried about him.

Looking For A Job

It has been a few years that Steven has been trying to find a job, but unfortunately, he couldn't secure a career for himself. He did dabble in a few opportunities in a rural area, and he never could find a job that he could hold on to.

Steven also hated depending on his parents for financial support, but the prospects of driving away in search of work looked grim without a car. He was the brink of a major breakdown when fortune smiled on him.

Owing Her a Debt

Steven was strong and healthy and was just the person to do all the work at Elly's house, something that the other older members of the community couldn't manage.

He also didn't have a job, so he had plenty of time on his hands and came to help Elly in his best capacity. Elly also wanted to pay him for his work, but Steven didn't think it was appropriate to accept payments for his jobs. He also felt that he owed her a debt as the two had met when both were grappling with different issues in their life.

A Friend Indeed

When Steven returned to the town, the small community knew he was homeless and judged him so much that they didn't give him a chance he deserved. He felt ostracised and alone. But, the couple Elly and Peter welcomed him with open arms. They even invited him over once in a while for dinner. The couple was kind and loving to him. He knew he had to repay them, and after Peter passed away, Steven tried to offer his help to Elly as much as possible. Finally, it was this decision that changed his life forever.

A Stronger Bond

Elly's house, as we know, was ancient and needed lots of help. Steven was kind and kept helping Elly in every way he could. He started with grocery shopping and often helped her to clean the house. He was accommodating in assisting Elly with repairing jobs too.

This helped them form a strong bond, and Steven was gracious enough not to accept any money. Elly often cooked for him and even made a scarf to keep the cold at bay. But this ruffled the feathers of many people.

No Time For Jobs

Steven's parents were not too thrilled about their son spending so much time at Elly's. He spent so much time at Elly's place that Steven did not have enough time to look for jobs.

Steven's parents had spent years caring for him, and now it was time for Steven to stand on his two feet. Here he was working for Elly for free. Their financial woes were also bothering them, and they needed all the help they could get from their only son, only if Steven could understand.

A Matter of Choice

Finally, Steven's parents gave him a request, and he had to choose between giving Elly a hand and living at home. They were tired of supporting him, and if he didn't help himself, they wouldn't be there for him too.

While Steven understood his parent's dilemma, he just wished his parents were kinder and more helpful to Elly, especially when Elly has been nothing but kind to the other members of the community. Steven wished everyone was more kindly to the old and helpless lady. Steven himself thought of various ways to help the gentle soul.

Not An Easy Choice

Steven knew he had to be firm with his parents, and he told them in his usual no-nonsense tone that he wasn't thinking of abandoning Elly. It was the final straw for Steven's parents, who told him to leave their home.

Steven's parents thought this was the best way to encourage him and start looking for a job, but it had the opposite effect on Steven. He became even more stubborn and didn't want to leave Elly and look for greener pastures, especially when she needed his help. Steven was as clueless as his parents.

At Crossroads

Steven was in a dilemma; he knew that if he left town, he might get better opportunities, but how could he leave behind the dear old lady who had been nothing but a guardian angel to him, right from cooking him warm meals to lending an ear when he got down in the dumps.

Steven knew that he could always call her and ask about her health and how she was doing, but he would no longer be there for her physically to help with her repairing work and run other errands.

Goodbye to Elly

Steven decided he needed to think about his future too and move away. His parents were pleased with his decision and gave him the required money to help him begin his new life.

Steven was still in two minds, packed and ready to go, yet something held him back. He felt it would be difficult to say goodbye to Elly. Things were challenging, and saying goodbye to someone so kind to him almost broke his heart.

Breaking The News to Elly

Steven went to Elly to bid her goodbye. She was heartbroken and had been such a mother figure for him. But Steven knew that his parents were in a soup now, and the only way to bail them out was to do the job himself.

Steven realized that he needed to move on with his life but also had this lingering regret that he won't be there for her when she needed him the most. It was one of the most complex decisions that Steven had ever taken, but it was a point in his life where he needed to make hard decisions.

Change is Hard

Suddenly, everything changed for Elly, she knew she had to move on too, but things were complicated as she was so used to seeking help from Steven. She was also too old to live independently and do many of the chores Steven did for her.

Her children were also worried about her and asked her to move south, closer to them. But she just had too many memories in the house. It was also her husband's house; there were just too many memories in that house, and she simply could not leave those behind her. But as days passed, she started thinking that maybe it was time to move on.

Surviving Alone

Elly was adamant about living alone. It had been so long since she had lived alone that she didn't want to live anywhere else and was dependent on others. She knew her children meant well, but she still wanted to live alone.

She did all the chores by herself, going to the supermarket to buy things, keeping the house clean, and doing some repairs herself. She kept at it for three whole weeks before the mishap happened and knew she had to take that step of moving away.

A Fall And An Injury

While Elly was cleaning up the kitchen, she tripped over a towel and fell to the ground. Elly fell, and she fell so hard that she ended up fracturing her hip badly.

Ellie tried to hide her injury from her children but fractured her hip. The doctor told Elly's children, and they got distraught and told her to move to a retirement home that was closer by. Elly knew she could no longer argue with them, and she had to make the decision. She sighed and finally decided to leave her home behind.

Time To Leave The Phone

Elly has always been opposed to living away from her beloved home, but she also knew that she was getting older, and this injury turned out to be the last straw.

Elly was at a crucial juncture in her life, and doing something foolish as ignoring her injury and refusing help could prove to be dangerous to her. She had to make several decisions to move on with her life, and she had to take them right now. Yes, she had spent 60 years of her life here, but it was time to move on. 

The Inheritance

With Elly finally deciding to move, there was only one other thing to address: what could she do with the house? Elly debated whether she should sell off the house. But the house was a pretty old open that needed plenty of repairs so it won't fetch much money.

She knew that only one other person was attached to the house, and it was none other than Steven. But how could she contact Steven and tell him what she has decided?

A Lawyer's Help

Elly then roped in a lawyer who would handle all the law procedures. She also wanted to do everything by the book and inform the lawyer to inform Steven about the nitty-gritty of the process. She knew that Steven may be hesitant at first and may even refuse outright, so she wanted to draw the papers and do it by the law. She knew if she did it this way, then Steven won't be able to refuse her. She quickly called the lawyer to tell him what she wanted to do.

It's Stevens

One thing that worried Elly was that the house was old; perhaps Steven didn't want her old home. But one thing she needed for sure was that she wanted him to find out what she had left for him.

Elly wanted to give Steven something more, and the house was only a ploy to provide Steven with that something more. But Elly wished to keep the entire thing as a surprise. She set out to plan how she would give the house away and the other secret she had intended to give him.

More Surprise On The Way

When Steven finally got the call from the lawyer, he was shocked and did not know what would be the next step. He knew the house was very dear to her, and she didn't want to part with it.

Also, Steven was surprised that Elkly gave it to him instead of giving the house to her biological children. What had he done to deserve the place? Steven was curious and wondered why Elly would do what she did. Was there more to it than meets the eye? Steven felt stumped.

Someplace Else

Elly's gesture seemed generous to him. Something in Steven told him that perhaps it was his parents who had convinced her to give away the house, or he was reading too much into it.

Maybe his parents wanted Steven to stay nearby. The whole process of living in rural Alaska appealed to him. He finally decided to give it a shot and see where the next course took him? She made his journey back to Alaska, excited to see what his future holds? He also wanted to meet his parents and Elly.

Selling Off The House

Steven was excited at the prospect of owning a house since he had suffered a lot and hoped this house would change things for him. He was also ever so grateful to Elly.

He was wondering whether his parents had talked to Elly and made her give away the house. He didn't know that, but it will surely give his life the push it needed. Yes, perhaps now he would be able to sell the house and, with that money, start things over.

Big City Problems

Life has been complicated for Steven since he made his way to the big city. He had been unable to get a good job and had to be satisfied to do the odd jobs here and there.

He was hoping to get a big break to start life anew; however, somehow or the other, the ample opportunities were alluding to him; try as he might, nothing was clicking, so an opportunity like this gave him a chance to see life with a fresh new perspective. Will it be successful? Well, only time will tell.

Home Away From Home

Even if Steven faced a difficult situation in the city, he felt at home and was more determined than ever to make his home here. He was thinking of selling Elly's house and getting a better start in this new city.

He believed that even if living in a city is not accessible by any standards, what would work for him because the city has lots of opportunities, and if he is booming at the right time at the right place, things will fall into place. Well, he started working on his plan.

Accepting The Offer

Since Steven was a novice at these things, he asked for help from the lawyer. The lawyer Elly had hired told him the news, so he called him first. He asked him candidly whether he would be able to help him to sell off the house?

But the lawyer told him that he had to visit the house at least once before they could proceed to sell off the house. The proposition seemed rather strange to Steven. Why would he have to visit the place to sell it off? Something was fishy.

Without Any Explanations

Steven was stunned at first to hear about the strange news, which made him think. He certainly wanted an explanation, but the lawyer didn't tell him exactly what was happening.

He sounded a little secretive, so Steven was a little suspicious. Although, he knew his parents would start asking questions about his non-existent career. But then he decided to go; after all, he wanted to visit the place with so many good memories of his home. He needed to go there, and he finally decided to go.

Calling Elly

Steven had to call Elly to ask him what the call from Elly's lawyer meant. Of course, his first thought was gratitude towards Elly and how she helped her in his most trying times.

He also had specific questions, such as why she was leaving the house and giving away the place to him of all people and not her children. They were undoubtedly valid questions and deserved answers. So, first, Steven had to call up Elly and get answers. He wondered what Elly would say?

Unable to Connect With Her

Try as he might, steven couldn't connect with Elly. It's not that he did not try hard, He kept calling, and his phone went to voicemail. Steven's first instinct was to worry about Elly's health, knowing she wasn't getting any younger. After his big city move, he felt a little guilty that he couldn't be there for her, especially when Elly had been nothing but kind to him.

Also, why was he getting the inheritance all of a sudden? He wished he could stop the train of thoughts that his mind was chasing.

What Could Be The Matter?

Steven was a worried one. He knew nobody was going to answer his questions till he reached there. The curious case was that the lawyer didn't give him any explanations, which was the strangest part.

He would have to make a long journey, worrying himself to death. Elly has always been there for him. She was just like his own mother. He remembered his homeless days and how Elly was the only person who was empathetic toward him. The rest of the clan only had bad things to say about him.

Maybe It Was His Parents

He also thought that perhaps Elly wanted to bridge the yawning gap between him and his parents. Steven also felt hesitant at times to call up his parents since he had not been able to establish himself in the new city and felt a tad bit ashamed about his inability to reach his goals.

Elly perhaps sensed that he could not speak to his parents and wanted them to reconcile. This was probably why she connected with him via the lawyer to resolve his situation.

To The House

When Steven finally arrived in the town, he headed toward Elly's house without thinking about it. He also first wanted to meet Ellky before he met his parents. He also hoped that they were not waiting for him at the house. What if he barged in at Elly's home and saw his parents there? They would be hurt that Steven chose to meet Elly at first rather than them.

But strangely, there was no one at Elly's house. This became another cause of concern for Steven. What was happening?

A Humongous Suitcase

When he finally entered the house, he first picked up the keys as the layer had advised him. He also noticed that there were two new locks on the door. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the house looked different.

He was getting surprised by the moment. He tried to find out exactly what was different about the house and then he saw it, yes there was a large suitcase right in the middle of a dining table. Now, what could be the large suitcase doing there? Did Elly keep something over there?

The Mystery Behind The Envelopes

Unsure there was anything for him there, he quickly inched towards the suitcase and saw something written. Steven, at first glance, recognized Elly's handwriting.

He finally opened the suitcase and saw the bag full of tiny envelopes. Now, what could be there in the envelope? Steven was a bit nervous and found his hands were shaking. He just hoped and prayed that all was well because he didn't know what to think about a stack of envelopes that lay on the table.

For His Unselfish Work

Steven picked out one of the envelopes randomly. He saw strange notices on the envelope. One was for getting groceries, there was another that mentioned repairing the gutter, there was also another that mentioned cleaning the kitchen, and another said taking Elly for a walk.

It had all the things that Steven had done for Elly, he had not taken any money from her, yet she found a way to give him the money in her thoughtful way. Steven felt emotional reading all the envelopes.

That's A Lot Of Money

But when Steven read all the envelopes, he smiled as he now came to the best part because all the envelopes contained money! Some of them had cash from 10 to 20 to even 50 pounds. When Steven unpacked the envelopes and counted the money, the total amount amounted to 15.000 dollars! That solved a lot of problems for him. He started feeling elated; suddenly, his future felt bright. He started thinking about what all he could accomplish with the money. The possibilities were endless for him.

Connecting With Elly

Steven was still in shock and decided to connect to Elly right then. This time, she finally picked up the phone, and Elly told him he deserved all that money and more.

Steven had never taken any money from her. This was Elly's way of thanking him for all that he had done for him. Elly explained that Steven has been very kind to him over the years. When no one else helped her, it was only Steven who helped her. It was time she paid him back.

Steven Gets Emotional

Steven suddenly felt like crying, and there were tears in his eyes. He had gone through so many struggles that he felt a tad bit emotional at the sudden change of events. He couldn't believe that his life would now change forever.

This money would be the catalyst that could change the way his future looks. He couldn't believe that his life was changing for the better. Also, he was relieved that Elly was alive and well. Steven also thought that with the money, he would move to Anchorage and buy an apartment there.

A New Life

Steven was able to turn his life forever, finally. He found a job and started working hard, moving his way up the ladder. This way, he was promoted one after the other and soon got an outstanding designation.

He also met his life's love at his workplace, started living together, and even considered starting a family. There were so many plans on the anvil, and he was happy and content with how his life was shaping. Of course, he never forgot his duties and kept visiting his parents.

Steven Has Retained The House

For this reason, their relationship with his parents improved, and as time passed, he visited them at least once a month.

And when he is there in town to visit his parents, he stops by Elly's house to fix everything that requires his repairing. Everything was turning out to be just fine. Not that he had ever hoped of things getting so sorted, but with a stroke of luck, it changed his life. He still owns the house and rents it out to a local couple, who are considering starting a family too.

Thank The Woman Who Made It Happen

Steven also felt that he needed to see Elly one more time before she breathed her last. He visited Elly in the retirement home about six months before he gave her the house and the money.

He could call her but decided he needed to be there to thank her in person. Thank the one person who believed in him and changed his life forever, and he was eternally grateful to Elly. She was like a guardian angel to him, and he would never forget her!