Peter was a determined businessman who began working from home when his wife Annika passed away. He made the decision to work from home in order to take care of his only daughter Mary and provide for her needs.

Mary walked home with her friend Anna every afternoon, despite Peter taking her to school every morning. He’d then sit on their doorstep, waiting her return.

Because their house was just on the corner of Anna’s street, Mary was always the first one home. The two girls would wave towards Peter, who would return the wave with a smile.

Mary had been returning home with her clothes soiled for the past month, according to Peter. He didn’t think much of it, thinking she was out on the field or at the playground with other kids at school.

 But after some time   he began to note, that Mary no longer walked behind Anna, and that Anna would always pass by first. After about twenty to thirty minutes, Mary would generally arrive.

He decided to learn about what had happened with Anna’s mother. ‘How are you doing, Lucy? I was just curious… is there anything between Anna and Mary? I observed they were no longer walking together after school ‘ he asked.

‘Hello, Peter’. The girls are having another one of those fights. You know, adolescent female stuff ‘Anna’s mother responded. Peter didn’t think this was a good idea, so the next day he went to check where Mary went after school.

From across the school, Peter waited inside his automobile. When he saw Mary leaving, he saw that her clothes were not as dirty as they were every time she returned home. He stopped the car and walked after her, carefully following her.

She eventually turned towards an old abandoned house and went inside. Peter immediately parked the car and rushed inside, where he saw Mary meeting an elderly man  rags dressed.

‘Mary! Get the hell away from him! ‘He screamed. Mary was startled by her father’s loud outburst and dropped the bag of food she had brought from their lunch room for the man.

She began to say, ‘But dad…’ Peter pulled her off the ground and pushed her into the car before she even realized it.

‘You can’t just go into abandoned houses and start talking to homeless men like that, Mary! What if he intended to harm you?!’ he screamed fiercely

‘Dad, I’ve been feeding him. He has never touched me ‘After her father raised his voice at her, Mary responded in tears.

‘He hasn’t done it yet, but that doesn’t imply he won’t in the future! Furthermore, there are numerous risks in the world. You can’t be alone in potentially dangerous situations.

Mary, promise me. You’re not returning, are you? ‘He said it again, still shocked by his recent unexpected discovery.

Mary nodded nervously. ‘I guarantee it. Can you kindly get the drawings he made for me, daddy? I’d like the drawings, please ‘She begged.

After dropping Mary off at her home, he returned to the abandoned house and spotted the same man seated on the floor. Peter explained, ‘My daughter won’t quit speaking about some drawings she left over here.’

The homeless man handed him pieces of paper silently. Peter was taken aback when he realized they were photographs of his late wife.

‘Your young daughter is a lovely young lady. I was sick and hungry one day, and I was exhausted to the point of lying on the ground. Mary wanted to assist, but her friend advised her to avoid me. While her best friend hurried home angry, Mary stayed ‘The man began to explain himself.

‘She brought me a meal and some tea, and after I had healed, she assisted me in walking back to my house. I told her I used to be an artist after we talked for a bit. She handed me some art supplies and asked me to draw her late mother ‘he added.

The homeless man admitted that he never accepted money for his drawings, but Mary would constantly come and bring her sandwiches. He revealed:

‘She is a wonderful young lady. I was pleased to do the pictures for free since I saw how much they meant to her, but she was always willing to supply me.

She would sit on the ground with me and wait for me to finish drawing. That’s why she’d always get her clothes dirty.’

Peter felt bad about misjudging the man right away. Mary found a friend in this wonderful man who freely gave her paintings of her mother, and he recognized she was missing her mother.

‘I apologize for passing judgment on you earlier today. I was afraid you were plotting something horrible, and the thought of losing my kid was too much for me. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank you for helping her remember her mother’ he remarked.

The homeless man then handed him his finished sketch. ‘She asked me to draw this for her yesterday. I was about to present it to her when I finished it today ‘ he added.

Peter scanned the piece of paper and noticed that it was a drawing of their family. As they ate dinner together, he, Mary, and his late wife Annika were all laughing. Peter couldn’t stop crying.

He wheezed and said, ‘This is beautiful.’ ‘Thank you a lot. This is going to be framed.’

After regaining his breath, he asked the man a question: ‘My best friend owns a local art gallery. For his exhibitions and art shows, he hires artists. Would you be able to give it a shot?’

The gentleman smiled. ‘That would be fantastic. I appreciate it. I’ve been camping in this deserted location for quite some time. I’d like another chance to live a normal life’ He answered.

That was the start of a wonderful new chapter in his life, one in which he could eat, sleep, and live comfortably while doing something he truly enjoyed.

He was able to rent a modest workshop and live there after consistently generating money through the art shop. He began to receive art commissions and was able to support himself.

In the meantime, he maintained friendships with Peter and Mary, who frequently invited him to dinner. He also began teaching Mary art lessons because the young girl was interested in these things.