When a rich man died and gave all his possessions to a servant, his sons were furious. However, the day after the funeral, the woman invited them to hear their father’s surprising request.
“This is the last thing I need from you, Melinda. Is this too much?” I speak from my deathbed, Mr. Faulkner. His boys lived far away, so Melinda, his maid, was the only one by his side. They didn’t know their father was sick, but they also hadn’t seen him in a long time, leaving the older man to run his farming empire alone while they squandered his money on pointless endeavors.
“Mr. Faulkner, no. I am capable,” she snapped, squeezing his hand gently because she was weak. He died a few hours later.
Robert, Penn, and Leonard, his sons, finally packed their bags that evening and headed back to Missouri for the funeral. However, they did not anticipate what happened during the reading of the will after the funeral.
“It is your father’s last request. You must fulfill it.” Melinda begged them to listen.
“It is my last request and will that Melinda, who has cared for me over the last few years, receives all of my property, including my money and the precious fields behind the farm. My sons must respect my choice and move on.” office, there was a roar as Mr. Faulkner’s lawyer was read.
Penn and Robert yelled and screamed, accusing Melinda of cheating on their father. Although Leonard was quieter, he couldn’t believe that their father would abandon them and give his maid all his money. He couldn’t understand it.
The lawyer asked them to leave the office and forget about it because in his opinion there was nothing they could do to contest the will.
That evening, Robert, Penn, and Leonard went to a neighborhood pub to drown their sorrows while complaining about not seeing their father and yelling at the gold diggers.
The next day, Leonard received a strange phone call that startled him because the number displayed on the screen was from his father’s farm where they grew up.
He replied sleepily, “Hi.”
A woman’s voice asked, “Leonard?” “Melinda,” she said.
He immediately got out of bed. He snapped, “Why are you calling me?”
“Just be careful. I want you to come to the farm today with your brothers. Can you do it?” She said hesitantly.
“What would make us do that? To rub our faces in what my father did, please. I don’t believe that.” Leonard rubbed his eyes as he laughed.
“No. Your father wanted to ask you something too. Please. I swear. You three must arrive,” Melinda pleaded once more before hanging up the phone.
They drove to a house that was no longer theirs after Leonard informed his brothers who were too interested to ignore the maid.
“Excuse me?” Robert asked offended.
Penn shook his head and said, “You can’t be serious.
Leonard gave her a confused look but remained silent.
“It’s accurate. I have to believe it,” Melinda insisted, looking at them pleadingly.
“And you would return the millions of dollars to us? just like that? without conditions?” Penn kept talking and crossed his arms.
“You’re a gold digger, I agree. Keep your sanctimonious behavior to yourself,” remarked Richard.
“It is your father’s last request. You must fulfill it.” Melinda begged them to listen.
Before his siblings could answer more, Leonard said, “Okay, okay.” “Dad wanted us to have part of these fields so we could grow crops for a year without help. The whole estate belongs to whoever grows more. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
She nodded, “Yes.
“That’s absurd, Leonard. You can’t think about it! We’ve never done farm work. It’s the employees’ responsibility, not the owners,” Roberta informed his sibling. Leonard was the youngest of the three and he was the older one.
“Rob, we’re not the owners anymore. The whole point is that “Eyes rolling, Leonard retorted.
“This is still unfair. If you want to make things right, split the property between the three of us,” Penn offered, watching Melinda.
“I can’t perform that action. I assured your father that” Melinda remarked before returning to the farm.
The three brothers sat there watching the vast fields they had never noticed before. Except for the times when it offered them money to enjoy life, they never thought much about the business. Yet they never had their hands dirty.
Penn and Robert laughed and continued to complain about their father and the maid. Since they were sharing a rental car, they wanted to drive off eventually, but Leonard resisted.
“I believe I shall remain in Missouri for some time,”
Leonard said. You two can continue.
Will you meet her demands? Penn asked sarcastically.
Leonard pursed his lips and said, “Maybe.
Robert snorted, “You’re an idiot,” and he and Penn left, never to return to Missouri.
Unlike his older brothers, Leonard stayed, grabbed the crops, chatted with the workers and started working. He had to learn how to operate large farm machinery. He sometimes dined with Melinda, who lived there and still wore her maid’s uniform, but that was the only help he got.
After a year, his field was overflowing with brand new crops, which he decided to sell at the neighborhood farmer’s market rather than through his father’s company’s usual distributors. Leonard tried to express the sense of accomplishment that this activity brought him. He went to the farm and sold everything.
It’s been a year and only you fulfilled your father’s wish, Melinda told him. “Let’s go see a lawyer. Everything is yours.”
Leonard couldn’t help but feel…empty after completing all the arrangements and signing the necessary documents. He found more fulfillment in planting, harvesting, and selling his crops than in becoming a millionaire. He finally realized why his father loved it so much.
Leonard praised God in his nightly prayers for the lesson.
He moved into the farmhouse completely but kept Melinda as a servant and paid her more. Leonard didn’t want to lose her because she worked hard and was a fantastic cook. Like his father, he ran the company. As he learned more about environmental advancements, he applied them to the empire, allowing it to expand even more.
He also helped his brothers at times, though not often, as they were both too proud to admit that they were mistaken for Melinda. She would split the inheritance between them if they would just grow crops too. But they refused.
Now that Leonard was in charge, the best part was that he appreciated the thrill of a job well done, which was better than getting a lot of cash.
What can we take away from this narrative?
The story highlights the importance of hard work and the dangers of privilege as shown through the experiences of Robert, Penn, and Leonard. Their father, Mr. Faulkner, tried to teach them a valuable lesson by leaving his estate to his maid Melinda instead of his entitled sons. However, only Leonard seemed to learn from the experience, while his brothers missed out on a valuable opportunity to grow and learn. The story serves as a reminder that even the wealthiest people must teach their children the value of hard work and the dangers of privilege. Sharing this story with others can offer inspiration and encouragement to work hard and appreciate the opportunities we have.
This story is about a rich man who informed his family that his maid is getting all his money, you might be interested if you liked the last one.
This essay was prepared by a professional writer and was motivated by the real experiences of our readers. Any resemblance to actual names or places is purely coincidental. Images are for illustration only. Tell us your story; maybe it will inspire someone.