Peter White, a loving father, raised his 12-year-old daughter Mary entirely on his own. When his daughter stopped going home with her friend, he decided to follow her one day, which resulted in an unexpected discovery. Peter was a successful businessman who began working from home years ago after his wife Annika died. He made the decision to work from home in order to care for and support their only daughter, Mary.

Mary preferred to walk home with her friend Anna every afternoon, despite Peter driving her to school every day. He would then wait on their doorstep for her to arrive. Mary was usually the first one home because their house was on the corner of Anna’s street. The two girls would wave at Peter, and he would smile back!

 

Over the previous month, Peter had noticed that Mary frequently returned home with her clothes soiled. He didn’t think much of it because he assumed she was at school, playing on the field or on the playground with other kids. He did notice, however, that Mary was no longer walking with Anna, and that Anna was always the first to pass by. Mary would usually arrive within twenty to thirty minutes.

He decided to find out what had happened to Anna’s mother. How are you doing, Lucy? I was just thinking. Is there a connection between Anna and Mary? “I’ve noticed they’re no longer strolling together after school,” he inquired. “Hello, Peter. The ladies are having another of those fights. “You know, adolescent female things,” replied Anna’s mother. This irritated Peter, so the next day he went to see where Mary went after school.

Peter sat inside his car across campus, waiting. He saw Mary leave, and her clothes were not as filthy as they had been every time she returned home. He started the car and walked alongside her. She eventually found and entered an old abandoned house. Peter swerved to a halt and dashed inside, where he saw Mary approaching an elderly man dressed in rags.

«Mary!» Get the hell out of there! Mary flinched at her father’s yell and dropped the bag of food she had brought for the guy from their school cafeteria. “But dad…” she started to explain. Before she knew it, Peter had her lifted off the ground and into the vehicle. “You can’t go into abandoned houses and talk to homeless men like that, Mary!” “What if he did something to hurt you?” he raged.

Dad, I’ve been feeding him. “He’s never touched me,” Mary sobbed as her father confronted her. “Just because he hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean he won’t be able to do it later!” Furthermore, there are numerous dangers out there. You cannot be in dangerous areas by yourself. Promise me, Mary. “You’re not going back there,” he said again, still taken aback by his startling revelation.

Mary shyly smiled. I swear to God. But, papa, could you please obtain the drawings he made for me? “Please, I require the drawings,” she pleaded. He returned to the abandoned house because Mary wouldn’t stop crying and saw the same guy sitting on the floor. “My daughter can’t stop talking about some drawings she left here,” Peter explained.

The homeless man silently handed him scraps of paper. Peter was surprised to discover that they were photos of his late wife. Your daughter is a beautiful young lady. One day, I was feeling ill and hungry, and I was tired and resting on the ground. Mary wanted to help, but her friend advised her to avoid me. “Mary waited while her friend stormed home in a rage,” the man began.

“She got me a meal and some tea, and as I gradually recovered, she helped me walk back here to my house.” I eventually told her I used to be an artist. “She handed me painting supplies and asked me to paint a portrait of her late mother,” he continued. The homeless man claimed he never asked for money for his paintings, but Mary was always dropping by with sandwiches. He disclosed:

She’s a lovely young lady. I was happy to paint the photos for free because I knew how important they were to her, but she was always eager to feed me. She would sit with me on the ground while I worked on my sketches. That is why she frequently soils her clothes. Peter felt bad for having misjudged the man. He knew that Mary missed her mother and sent her drawings of her mother to make her feel better.

Please accept my apologies for judging you earlier today. I had a feeling you were up to something bad, and the thought of losing my child was too much for me to bear. I apologized and thanked him for keeping her mother’s memories alive in her heart and mind, “he said. The homeless man then handed him his finished work of art. “This is the painting she requested the previous day.” “I finished it today and planned to give it to her,” he explained.

Peter picked up a scrap of paper and noticed a drawing of their family on it. He, Mary, and his late wife, Annika, were laughing together as they ate supper. Peter couldn’t keep his tears from falling. “This is lovely,” he exclaimed. I sincerely appreciate it. “This is going to be framed.” “My closest friend owns a local art gallery,” he explained after gathering his thoughts.

He hires artists for his art exhibits and events. “Are you willing to take a risk?” The man grinned. That would be fantastic. Thank you very much. I’ve been camping in this desolate location for quite some time. “I’d like another chance to live a normal life,” he said. That was the start of a remarkable transformation in his life, allowing him to eat, sleep, and live comfortably while doing something he truly enjoyed.

He was able to rent a small workshop and live there after consistently making money from the art business. Accepting painting commissions enabled him to begin earning a decent living. Meanwhile, he kept in touch with Peter and Mary, who invited him to dinner on a regular basis. He also began teaching painting classes to Mary, who was enthralled.