A Man Returns to His Hometown After 15 Years to Find His Mother but Discovers His Childhood Home in Ruins
Jason Warner was determined to become a successful and wealthy man, but there was no way that could happen in Oberlin, Ohio—a small town with only 4,000 residents. As soon as he graduated from high school, Jason packed his bags and left.
His father had passed away when Jason was very young, and he had been raised by his mother, Rose. Jason had no siblings to leave behind, and he was confident that Rose would manage just fine. Besides, he had his own life to live.
Things went exactly as Jason had planned. He graduated at the top of his class from law school and secured a position at a prestigious law firm. During his first week on the job, he met his boss’s daughter, and from that moment, his future seemed guaranteed.
Mary Beth Harrow fell in love with the young lawyer, and whatever Mary Beth wanted, Mary Beth got. Jason was equally thrilled. Mary Beth was beautiful, wealthy, and her father was helping advance his career.
Everything seemed perfect, and life only got better when Jason and Mary Beth married and welcomed twins—a boy and a girl. Jason had never imagined himself as a father, but he fell completely in love with his children.
He couldn’t picture his life without Rita and Roy. Every free moment he had from work, he dedicated to his family. But while Roy and Rita adored having their father around, Mary Beth was not as pleased.
She found this new, devoted father version of Jason boring, and soon after, she filed for divorce and demanded custody of the children. Jason was devastated. He fought fiercely for his kids, but his father-in-law was a powerful man, and in the end, Jason lost.
Jason lay on his hotel bed, feeling empty and shattered. Then a thought struck him: Is this how my mother felt when I left? Is this what I did to her? He realized it had been fifteen years since he had left and not once had he reached out to his mother.
Early the next morning, Jason took a flight to Cleveland, rented a car, and drove to Oberlin. His heart pounded with excitement as he navigated the familiar streets. He couldn’t wait to see Rose and tell her all about her grandchildren.
But when he pulled up in front of his childhood home, he was horrified. The lovely house was nothing but ruins. The roof was gone, ripped away, and the contents of the rooms were scattered everywhere.
Jason ran to the neighboring house and knocked frantically. “Please,” he pleaded. “Rose Warner—where is she?”
“Rose?” The man frowned. “Her house was destroyed by a tornado two years ago… I don’t know what happened to her.”
Jason went from house to house, knocking on doors, but no one could tell him where his mother was. Desperate, he rushed to the police station and asked to speak with the sheriff.
To his surprise, he recognized Harry Tarbell, a former classmate. “Harry!” Jason exclaimed. “I need your help! I went to my mother’s house, and it’s completely destroyed. No one knows if she’s even alive!”
“Jason!” Harry shook his hand. “It’s been what—fifteen years?”
“Yeah, something like that…” Jason said impatiently. “But about my mother—”
“Let’s check,” Harry said as he pulled up records on the computer. “She’s not in town. Some of the people who lost their homes were relocated to Pennsylvania. Maybe she was one of them.”
Hope surged in Jason’s heart. “Thank you, Harry,” he said. That afternoon, Jason contacted the foundation that had helped displaced families relocate.
Even though Rose’s name wasn’t on their list, they advised Jason to reach out to three aid centers that had taken in Ohio refugees. Over the next week, Jason followed every possible lead, but his mother was nowhere to be found.
But he refused to give up. He decided to start his search from scratch, hoping to uncover a new clue. His first stop was the sheriff’s office, but Harry wasn’t there.
The dispatcher told him Harry was at home. Luckily, Jason remembered where Harry used to live, so he drove there. As he stepped onto the porch, ready to knock, he heard a voice—one he would recognize anywhere.
It was Rose!
Jason banged on the door. “Open up!” he shouted. “You lied to me—my mother is here with you!”
Harry opened the door, and behind him, Jason saw his mother. She looked older and frailer than he remembered. “Mom!” Jason cried, pushing past Harry to embrace her.
Rose clung to him, tears streaming down her face as she whispered his name. Then Jason turned to Harry, his eyes blazing. “You lied to me!” he accused. “You sent me on a wild chase while my mother was right here with you!”
Harry lowered his gaze. “I didn’t think you’d look that hard. You abandoned her for fifteen years…”
“I made a mistake, Harry,” Jason admitted.
“You know, Jason,” Harry said bitterly, “I lost my mother when I was a kid. But you—you threw yours away because you didn’t realize how precious family is.”
“I know that now, Harry. I swear, I’ve learned my lesson.”
Rose placed a gentle hand on Jason’s arm. “For the past fifteen years, Harry has been kind and loving, like a son to me. Two years ago, he took me in. He is as much my son as you are, and I won’t abandon him.”
Tears welled up in Jason’s eyes. “Oh, Mom, I’m so sorry it took losing my own children for me to understand what I did to you. I need a family, Mom. I need you.”
Harry stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Jason’s shoulder. “You have a family. You have your mother. And if you’ll let me, I can be your brother and your friend.”
Jason returned to Boston to be close to his children, but every month, he traveled to Ohio to visit his family—his mother and his brother.
