![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cutiething.b-cdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/The-orphan-fed-a-hungry-old-man-in-the-park3.jpg\")
It was late autumn. The leaves had long fallen, and the snow had not yet started. Nature seemed gloomy. Birds hid away in the warmth. A little boy walked through the park in an unbuttoned jacket. Alex enjoyed this unusual solitude, imagining himself as an adult. He had long wanted to grow up and leave the orphanage, where he had to endure strict rules.<\/p>\n
As he walked between the trees, he enjoyed the sound of rustling leaves and listened to the cawing of crows flying overhead. The sun was covered by grim clouds. Passersby occasionally walked along the paved paths, their gazes downcast. Alex had time to observe each one. \u201cThey probably have their own homes and children\u2026 Why would they need me?\u201d he thought sorrowfully to himself. Suddenly, a stranger extended a small package to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHere, this is for you,\u201d said the man.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me? What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCookies. I see you often wander here alone. Where is your family?\u201d asked the stranger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026 I\u2026\u201d Alex decided not to reveal where he was from, so he ran in the opposite direction of the park, holding the treat in his hands.<\/p>\n
The boy ran a few more meters and noticed an elderly man sitting on a bench, chin resting on the palms of both hands, deep in thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cHello!\u201d greeted the child, approaching the old man. Alex noticed his sad look and felt a sudden pity for the grandfather.<\/p>\n
The boy sat next to him on the bench and began to eat the cookies greedily.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay I have a piece?\u201d the man suddenly asked, reaching out for Alex\u2019s treat.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, you can! We always share with each other in the orphanage,\u201d the child replied, handing a cookie to the old man\u2019s palm. Then he paused. He had decided not to tell anyone that he was from an orphanage and had inadvertently let it slip!<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, you\u2019re a runaway?\u201d concluded the companion. \u201cAnd I sit here, unable to understand where I came from\u2026 I walked and walked and forgot\u2026 That\u2019s how we are, old people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex caught his breath. How good it was that the old man didn\u2019t press him further! \u201cDo you really not remember anything at all?\u201d the child inquired curiously, and the old man nodded sadly. \u201cIt\u2019s a disaster with me\u2026 a disaster. No one knows when such misfortune will happen to them\u2026 People can\u2019t foresee their future, and for everyone, it ends the same\u2014in old age\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex blinked rapidly, listening intently to the elderly man. He truly felt sorry for him! Completely lonely and needed by no one. Alex at least had his own little bed, a plate, a cup, and a spoon, but this grandfather didn\u2019t even remember where he lived! Could there really be no kind soul in the world to take in this nearly helpless old man? He thought this as he glanced sideways at the elderly man.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you have a phone with you? Maybe it could help,\u201d the boy said maturely.<\/p>\n
Digging through his pockets, the man pulled out an old-fashioned mobile phone and handed it to Alex. The child pressed a button, and the screen lit up. Unexpectedly, a number appeared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re calling you!\u201d exclaimed the orphan. \u201cShall we answer?\u201d<\/p>\n
The old man nodded. \u201cI think they\u2019ll tell you something quicker,\u201d he said gloomily.<\/p>\n
Alex answered, \u201cHello!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, where did you disappear to? We\u2019ve been looking for you since last night!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHello. This isn\u2019t your dad. I found this grandfather in the park. I\u2019m sitting next to him right now,\u201d the boy explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me the address!\u201d<\/p>\n
Alex gave the address of the park and quickly said goodbye to the old man before running back to the orphanage.<\/p>\n
A luxurious car pulled up to the orphanage the next day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho could that be?\u201d a nanny wondered.<\/p>\n
Ms. Linda Foster looked out and saw a well-dressed man and woman. \u201cI\u2019ll meet them. They don\u2019t seem like ordinary visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve come for a boy named Alex. He\u2019s 11 and often runs away,\u201d the man explained.<\/p>\n
Linda frowned but led them downstairs, where Alex was locked away in solitary confinement.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou locked him up?\u201d the man exclaimed. \u201cThis is illegal!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe broke the rules!\u201d Linda protested.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what? Soon you\u2019ll be the one looking for a new job!\u201d the guest snapped.<\/p>\n
Turning to Alex, he said, \u201cWe\u2019ve come for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me?\u201d the boy asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes,\u201d the man smiled. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. We\u2019ll explain everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Later, Alex learned that the man and his wife had come specifically for him. \u201cThank you for feeding my father in the park!\u201d the man said. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for you, who knows how long he would have been out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Alex, it felt like a dream. He even pinched himself. Could it really be true? Would he soon have a family?<\/p>\n
That same day, Ms. Linda Foster was fired. Meanwhile, Alex walked out of the orphanage for the last time, holding the hand of his new father, who reminded him of the father from his dreams. A new life had begun, far from the harsh orphanage and the cruel Ms. Linda Foster, who was now mopping floors elsewhere\u2026<\/p>\n
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cWho ran into the cafeteria again and stole a loaf of bread?\u201d Ms. Linda Foster scolded as she opened the doors to the children\u2019s room. She was a strict caretaker feared by all the children. She couldn\u2019t stand it when something happened behind her back, and she found out about it later. Today, Alex was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-random-stuff"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4856"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4857,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4856\/revisions\/4857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/buzzfeednews.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}