Diego and Sofia had had many ups and downs in their lives. Both were orphaned when they were young, and after getting married and starting a family, Diego’s business failed, leaving them in debt.
As time went on, Diego found a part-time job and managed to pay off all the family’s debts, but the financial situation remained precarious. In addition, Sofia was pregnant with their third child.
When the baby girl was born, they understood that they were going to need a car. Before, Sofia would walk her children to school and Diego would take a bus to his workplace, but with the newborn, the mother could not do everything alone.
The school and Diego’s workplace were in completely opposite directions, so Sofia had to take the children to school every day.
However, they could not afford a new car due to lack of funds and had to settle for a used one after a year of saving.
The car was not exactly as Sofia had imagined, but she was glad that her twin daughters, Mia and Susana, no longer had to walk to their distant school every day.
The day the car arrived, everyone was ecstatic. It was an old blue model, similar to the ones seen in the movies, except this one was covered in dust and had worn leather seats with holes in them.
Despite its flaws, it was a car that could help them deal with their daily problems. Sofia set about cleaning the car, to make sure it was dust-free before she started using it.
When she lifted the front seat, she discovered an envelope hidden underneath. Out of curiosity, she paused in her cleaning and began to read it.
“Hi! Thank you for buying this car. I know it may seem stupid to you, but call it Julia,” the letter began. “It was hard for me to sell it, but it brings back memories of happy and sad times in my life.”
“I was a single mother. I had three children and we used to travel with Julia. We were content with our lives until one fateful day when it all came crashing down.” Sofia’s heart skipped a beat as she read on.
“My children and I were driving home from school when we had a terrible accident. I had worked late into the night the day before and fell asleep while driving.”
“I repaired Julia as a memory of my children and the happy times we shared. When my husband originally bought the car, they were overjoyed; in fact, my youngest daughter Emma had named it Julia.”
“However, over time, I realized it would be better to sell it because I couldn’t stop crying and cursing myself every time I looked at it.”
“Be careful when driving. This is a reminder to you. I know you are thinking about selling this car now that you know its backstory. But trust me, Julia is not that bad.”
“I have cared for it for 30 years and now it is your turn. I may not be alive when you read this letter, but please take good care of Julia and give it to a friendly owner. Love, Maria Azuaje.”
Sofia’s eyes filled with tears as she finished reading the letter. She could imagine the anguish Maria must have felt as a mother, since she too had lost her first child when she was not yet born.
She decided to help the lady if she was still alive and sought advice from Diego.
“Don’t you think we should help her? I mean, she must be old and alone. I feel so bad for her.”
“I understand, Sofia, but we have three children to take care of. I’m always worried about work and you’re responsible for the whole house. Besides, think of the expenses.”
We can take care of her, Diego. I know we are short of money, but I can’t get her out of my mind. She is a mother who has lost her children.” Sofia’s eyes filled with tears.
“She must have gone through what we went through when we lost our baby. And that’s a terrible feeling.”
Diego hugged Sofia.
“Okay sweetheart. If you want to do it, let’s try. Let’s inform the police tomorrow, okay?”.
“Fine! But I hope the lady is safe and alive.”
Diego followed Sofia’s advice and asked the police for help in locating Mrs. Azuaje, but they received no response for almost a week.
Sofia had given up hope that they would locate her, but one day she received a call from the police station informing her that they had finally found her.
“Please write down the address, ma’am,” the policeman said. “However, we need to ask some questions because when we told her about you, she said she didn’t know you.”
“I’ll tell you everything, officer, but is the woman safe? Nothing happened to her, right?” asked Sofia.
“She’s fine, ma’am. Don’t worry about that. Come as soon as you can.”
“Okay, I’m on my way. Make sure she’s not alone,” Sofia said as she hung up the call.
Sofia ran to the address and found herself in front of a huge villa. Upon entering, she discovered two policemen and an elderly woman in the living room. She quickly approached the old woman and asked:
“Mrs. Azuaje, are you all right?”.
Maria gave Sofia a puzzled look.
“Yes, I am. But how do you know me, my dear, and why were you looking for me?” Sofia took a seat and explained the whole story to her and the officers.
“You have a good heart, ma’am,” one of the officers said when Sofia finished. “No one goes out of their way to help a stranger. Anyway, take care of yourself; we’re leaving right now.”
Afterwards, Maria told Sofia her whole story. It turned out that her husband was a wealthy businessman, but one day she received a call. Her husband had died in a tragic accident on his way to the airport.
After losing it, Maria sold her house and moved into her parents’ house with her children and her car. Her husband had given it to her on their last wedding anniversary.
Soon after, her parents died and she was left alone with her children. They did not lack money because both her husband and her parents had left enough inheritance for them to live comfortably for the rest of their lives.
However, after the death of her husband and parents, she needed something to occupy her time, and work helped her until her children died.
Sofia felt very bad for the old woman deep in her heart. From that day on, she visited Mrs. Azuaje every day after dropping her children off at school and on weekends with her family.
One day, Maria passed away unexpectedly. Later, Sofia learned that she had been diagnosed with cancer, and so she said in the letter that she might be dead when she found her.
However, Mrs. Azuaje had left a will with her lawyer, transferring all her property and wealth to Sofia as a token of her gratitude.
