Sebastian, a 71-year-old man, had spent his entire life working hard on his family farm. It was a hot day, and he was harvesting corn, tossing each ear into his old, worn basket, hoping to make a little money at the market. The farm had been his world. He raised his three boys—James, Fred, and Kyle—there, alongside the love of his life, his wife.
But when she passed away unexpectedly, Sebastian was left broken. From that moment on, his entire focus was on raising his boys.
Years passed, and as his sons grew up, they left the farm to start their own lives. Sebastian didn’t mind being alone. His daily routine kept him busy: exercising in the morning, a quick breakfast, and long, tiring hours on the farm. By night, he was too exhausted to do anything but eat and sleep.
One day, while working under the sun, Sebastian felt strange. His vision blurred, and suddenly, everything went black. He collapsed in the field, but luckily, his neighbor was nearby and saw him fall. Rushing over, the neighbor knelt beside him.
“Sebastian, can you hear me? Are you okay?” the neighbor asked, his voice shaking with worry.
When Sebastian woke up, he found himself in his neighbor’s home, confused about what had happened.
“You passed out, Sebastian. You need to see a doctor,” the neighbor insisted.
Reluctantly, Sebastian agreed and went to see the doctor, who ran several tests. The results were grim.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Sebastian,” the doctor said gently. “Your cancer has spread too far. There’s nothing more we can do. I’d recommend you spend your remaining time with your family.”
Sebastian wasn’t afraid of dying, but his mind raced with thoughts of the farm. “Who will take care of it after I’m gone?” he wondered to himself.
That night, Sebastian made the hardest calls of his life. He told each of his sons the terrible news, hoping they would come home and take care of the land he had cherished all his life. But none of them offered to help or even visit. They were too caught up in their own lives.
As weeks went by, Sebastian’s health deteriorated. He was now too weak to get out of bed, let alone tend to the farm. His sons hired a nurse to look after him, but they still didn’t come to see him.
“Dad, we’ve got a nurse taking care of you,” James said over the phone. “We’re just too busy to make the trip right now.”
Sebastian didn’t want a nurse. He wanted his family. He longed to see his boys one last time, but it never happened.
Before he passed away, Sebastian called his sons one final time. His voice was weak, but his message was clear. “Please, take care of the farm after I’m gone. It’s been in our family for generations, and if you work hard, it’ll bring you prosperity.”
The next day, Sebastian died alone in his home. At his funeral, his sons were there, but after the service, they didn’t care about the farm. It fell into neglect as the months passed, and no one bothered to maintain it.
One day, James received a phone call from a lawyer. The news wasn’t good. “Your father took out a loan to buy supplies for the farm. The debt now falls on you and your brothers.”
“Dad never told us about any loan!” James complained to Fred and Kyle. With no way to pay it off, the three brothers decided to sell the farm.
When they arrived at the property, they were shocked by what they saw. The house was falling apart, the fields were overgrown, and everything was in ruins.
“Who’s going to buy this place in this state?” Fred asked, shaking his head. “We’ll never get a good price for it.”
Despite their doubts, the brothers listed the farm for sale in the newspaper, using edited photos to make it look better than it really was. They dropped the price, hoping to get some interest. Soon enough, a man named Harry called about the farm.
James lied when Harry asked why it was being sold so cheaply. “I need to move for work. That’s why I’m selling it at this price,” he said, pushing Harry to buy the farm without seeing it first. For only $1,000, Harry agreed.
The brothers laughed, thinking they had gotten rid of a worthless piece of land. They thought they had tricked Harry. But for Harry, who had just been cheated out of his own inheritance by his sister, this farm represented a new start.
When Harry moved in with his wife and children, he saw the farm’s true condition. “How are we going to fix all of this?” his wife asked, looking around in disbelief.
“Don’t worry,” Harry said with determination. “We’ll work hard, fix it up, and turn this place around.”
Harry and his family rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They planted crops, bought animals, and began fixing the house. Slowly, the farm began to change, and soon, it was thriving again. They were even starting to make money from it.
One day, while cleaning out the attic, Harry stumbled upon a hidden drawer in an old cabinet. Inside, he found a black plastic bag. When he opened it, bundles of cash tumbled out, along with a letter.
Harry unfolded the letter and read it aloud:
“If you’re reading this, it means my sons have sold the farm, ignoring my last wish. I am Sebastian, the previous owner. I hoped my sons would take care of this land after I passed, but they didn’t. I leave this money to whoever buys the farm. Use it to restore the land and make it prosper again. My dream was to see this farm thrive. Please take care of my legacy.”
Harry was stunned. He counted the money and realized it was more than enough to pay off the farm’s debt and make all the repairs they needed. Honoring Sebastian’s wish, Harry used the money to rebuild the farm, making it even better than before.
In tribute to the man who had worked so hard all his life, Harry renamed the farm “William and Sebastian’s Farm,” after Sebastian and his grandfather. The farm quickly became popular in the community. People came from nearby towns to buy fresh produce, eggs, and milk. It turned into a huge success.
A year later, Harry’s hard work had paid off. The farm was flourishing, his children’s college fund was secure, and they were making a good living. But word of the farm’s success eventually reached James, Fred, and Kyle. When they visited and saw the farm in its new glory, they were filled with regret.
“We should’ve listened to Dad,” James said, his voice heavy with guilt.
Desperate for money, the brothers tried to convince Harry to share the profits. But Harry stood firm.
“I bought this farm, worked hard, and paid off the debt. You had your chance,” Harry told them firmly.
Realizing they couldn’t outsmart him, the brothers reluctantly agreed to work on the farm for a salary. Through hard work, they finally came to appreciate the value of the land and the effort their father had put into it.
Meanwhile, Harry taught his own children how to care for the land, ensuring that Sebastian’s legacy would live on for generations.
Lessons from this story:
- Hard work always pays off. Harry’s dedication turned a neglected farm into a successful business, proving that perseverance leads to reward.
- Teach children the value of hard work. Sebastian’s sons didn’t understand the importance of their father’s efforts until they had to work the land themselves.