When a millionaire’s car broke down in the middle of a road trip, he stopped for shelter at a run-down cottage – what he discovered inside changed his life forever.
Successful businessman and millionaire Albert Francis was on his way to a remote village for a crucial deal when his car broke down. Since Albert had left his home, he had a nagging fear that the deal wasn’t going to be an easy one.
His driver had requested an urgent leave in the morning, so he decided to drive himself. But soon after, he realized that his cars were being serviced, so he had to rent a car in the end.
But as he reached a small unknown village that fell somewhere before his destination, the vehicle began to make strange noises and he eventually pulled over.
Albert, a stickler for deadlines, was furious when he discovered he wouldn’t get to his appointment on time! He wanted to call his manager, Mr. Smith, to tell him what was going on, but his phone was dead.
He looked around the place for help, but all he saw in close proximity was an old, run-down house. It was made of wood and grass straws, unlike his home – the gigantic mansion he stayed in – but it was getting dark and cold, and he was freezing, so he decided to approach the house and ask for assistance.
“Hello? Is anyone home?” he inquired as he knocked on the door. “My car broke down, and I need help.” There was no answer.
“Ughh, I think there’s no one home. What a waste of time!” he grumbled to himself. But just then, the front door to the house opened, and a frail woman emerged from within. “Do you need any help?” she asked in a gentle voice.
When Albert turned around to look at her, he was frozen in place. She was beautiful, despite her appearance of weakness and poverty. Her dark brown eyes stood out against her fair skin, and her golden locks, which were untidily scattered across her face, enhanced her beauty.
“Aren’t you the one who just knocked?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts. “I’m sorry I was busy with something.”
“What? Ye – Yes, that was me,” Albert replied, taken aback by her beauty. “Actually, my car broke down. Is it okay if I stay here for a while? I can’t call for help because my phone is dead, and I doubt I’ll be able to get a car here at this hour.”
The woman looked at Albert, and from his expensive clothing, she could tell he wasn’t someone from their village. “Sure, please come in,” she said, showing him the way inside.
Stepping inside, Albert could see the house was in no better condition than its owner. The house was decent, but it had been in need of repair for quite some time and had minimal furniture.
The woman seated Albert at a wooden table – which wasn’t dirty but pretty old and ragged – and treated him to tea and pancakes. “Thank you,” Albert said, reaching for the teacup.
Suddenly, he was drawn in by a loud crying sound from within.
The woman excused herself and rushed inside. When she returned, she was holding a baby in her arms, and a young boy was hiding behind her, looking intently at him.
“I’m sorry for bothering you,” she said. “I had just put her down to sleep, but my son woke her up.”
“Do you mind if I hold her for a while?” Albert inquired, his gaze fixed on the tiny baby girl.
“Sure,” the woman said with a smile.
Albert loved kids and really got along with them, but he had been so preoccupied with work all his life that he never got a chance to marry and start a family. “Does your husband frequently return late from work?” he inquired as he rocked the baby.
Suddenly, the woman’s smile faded, and a disappointed look took over. “I don’t have a husband,” she admitted quietly. “He abandoned us because he didn’t want to care for us.”
“I’m sorry,” Albert said, cursing himself for asking the question. “I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Albert – Albert Francis. And you are?”
“My name is Linda. This is my son James, and the little girl in your arms is my daughter Amaira.”
“How do you manage two young children on your own? It must be extremely tiring.”
“Well, I would say I am used to it,” Linda sighed. Then she remembered how her husband had screamed at her a month before and said he felt suffocated before leaving her. At the same time, he didn’t do much to improve their situation. And the renovation which would have been done a few years ago had become a distant dream for her.
She was having a difficult time. However, she was well aware that things would only worsen. James, who was six years old, would occasionally assist her around the house and even in the market where she sold potatoes for a living, but he was still a small child.
Linda didn’t expect to be talking about how harsh or challenging her life is to a man she just met, but for some reason, she wanted to be honest with him. He had an endearing quality about him that she hadn’t seen in the locals in a long time.
So she told her typical, sad story about her carelessness in choosing a husband, the difficulties of life with an infantile person who brought her to this village, and the fact that she’s just a potato seller with nothing to earn an extra ruble.
Albert listened attentively to her, plunging into her complex little world, one he could hardly relate to. But the injustice and trials that fell on the head of this beautiful woman aroused in him a desire to help her.
At some point, he also began to share his life with her. He talked about his childhood and his dog, who now lives with his sister. And a little about the loneliness he felt every evening when he returned home.
They had been so engrossed in talking that they didn’t realize it was 4 in the morning. She arranged for Albert to sleep on the couch and went inside the other room to the children who were asleep by then.
Albert noticed that James didn’t even have a bed and was sleeping on a mattress. He closed his eyes as he sank on the couch, but it seemed as if sleep had left his eyes. All he could think of was Linda, how beautiful she was. Then he felt sympathy for her and wondered if she had found him as attractive as he had found her.
Soon the sun rose high in the sky, and Albert knew it was time to leave. A mechanic had been arranged with the help of locals, and the car started up again after a few adjustments under the hood. Everything will be fine now, he thought.
Before parting, he kissed Linda on the cheek. She blushed a little, her eyes welling up as if she didn’t want him to leave. But Albert had to.
One week later…
Linda was awakened by a loud knock at the door. When she dashed over to answer it, tears escaped her eyes. It was Albert, and he said he’d come to take her with him.
“I’ve brought some help from the city to fix your house, but I want you to come with me, Linda. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Linda couldn’t believe her ears! She’d fallen for Albert at first sight just as he had. She wanted him to be with her, and that was finally happening. She couldn’t contain her excitement and hugged him. “I love you too, Albert. I’m so happy you came back.”
A year after that day, Linda and Albert tied the knot. Linda moved from the village to Albert’s house after selling the old cottage, and now they’re living happily in a Texas town. Albert could only thank the wonders-that-be that his car broke down that evening because it led him to his soulmate.
What can we learn from this story?
Love doesn’t have boundaries. Linda and Albert fell in love and embraced each other despite their completely different backgrounds.
Some accidents are indeed beautiful. All thanks to the sudden breakdown of his car, Albert and Linda were able to find true love in their lives.
1 Comment
Beautiful. I loved it.