One night while I was taking a break from work, I heard someone come up behind me and say, "Excuse me, sir."
I turned around and saw a young man wearing glasses standing there. "Yes?" I said.
He said, "Are you Mr. Thomas?"
I said, "Yes, why?"
He pulled out a piece of paper and said, "This is a letter addressed to you. We were told to give it to you personally."
I took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a check for $100,000.
I read the note:
Dear Mr. Thomas:
We are pleased to inform you that a lady has given birth to a healthy baby boy. You may contact us directly at any time to discuss arrangements for the transfer of custody of the child.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Susan Smith
It was signed by the head of the company.
I didn't know what to think. I was shocked. At first, I thought maybe I'd won the lottery or something, but when I saw the amount of money on the check, I realized it was much more than that.
Source
I have always wanted to start an adoption home. Not the kind you are thinking. One which one children can be raised with love especially children whose parents cannot afford to and obliged to give them up for adoption.
I didn't have enough fundings so I put my proposals to different NGOs and today turned out to be my lucky day. Not only do the NGO want to support my initiative, they also found my first baby. I was beyond elated.
I looked at the young man and said, "Thank you."
He said, "Don't mention it. Congratulations."
I thanked him again and went back to work.
A few weeks later, I received a second letter.
This one was handwritten and said:
Dear Mr. Thomas:
Please accept our apologies for the delay in processing the check you sent to us. Unfortunately, due to the recent events, the bank did not honor the funds. Please understand that we will pay you back as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Susan Smith
The head of the company
I didn't know what to think. The first check had been enough to cover all my expenses, but this new one would have to go toward paying off the rest of my debt. I was afraid that if I didn't pay the entire balance, the bank would foreclose on my house. The house I use to raise the child that was left in my custody.
Several months passed, and I didn't hear from either the bank or the company. Another month went by and nothing happened. I started to worry that the bank had lost touch with my contractors and that I'd never receive any more money. Then I got a phone call from the bank. They said that they'd received my next renumeration and that they were going to pay me back.
I couldn't believe it. I didn't know what to say.
The next day, I received a check for $100,000.
I decided to invest the money in a business venture. I bought some land and built an apartment building on it. I hired a construction crew to build the apartments, and I leased them out to people who needed housing. Within two years, the project was complete.
My business thrived, and I became very successful. Soon I had enough money to buy the company that owned the factory where I used to work before my adoption program started. I expanded the company and eventually sold it to a bigger company. I also invested in several other companies. I even started my own investment firm. All of these portfolio was going to sustain my adoption program so I wouldn't have to worry about fundings from the NGOs.
I married a woman named Sally. We met during one of my travels and fell in love right away. She was smart and beautiful, and I knew she was the one for me. We've been together ever since. And she too loved adopting, taking care of children, and creating a home for them
Jordan came into our lives after I married Sally. He was about three years old when we adopted him. His father died when he was only a few months old, so we were his only family. We loved having him around. He was a wonderful kid, and we spent most of our time together.
Sally and I agreed that we wanted to adopt another child. When Jordan was six, we adopted a little girl named Emily. She was just like Jordan, with long black hair and bright green eyes.
About two years ago, Sally and I decided to move to Florida because it was a warm place to live. We sold our house in California and moved to a large condominium overlooking the ocean. It was the perfect and comfortable place for raising kids.
A few months later, I got a call from the agency. They said that a five-year-old boy named John was looking for a home. He had Down syndrome and was living with his grandmother.
I immediately asked if there was anything special about the boy.
"Yes," the woman on the phone said. "He has a twin sister named Jennifer."
I hung up the phone and told Sally about the twins. She said that we should go look at them. I thought it might be nice to have a couple of more kids around the house so I obliged.
We drove to the adoption center, and the receptionist took us to see the children. They were sitting on the floor playing with blocks. They looked identical except for their hair color.
John had dark brown hair and big brown eyes. He was wearing a blue T-shirt and shorts. Jennifer had light brown hair and bright green eyes. She was wearing a pink T-shirt and yellow shorts.
They were adorable. I could tell that they were going to be great kids.
I asked the receptionist if there was any more information about them.
"No, not really," she replied. "Their grandmother is a single parent. She works a lot and doesn't have much money. She wants to get the kids out of the house as soon as possible."
I thought that sounded like a good idea.
"How much are they asking?" I asked.
The woman smiled. "Nothing. The agency pays all the expenses. All you have to do is sign the papers."
I was surprised. I didn't think anyone would give away a kid for free.
"What happens if I don't want to adopt them?" I asked.
She shrugged. "Then you can't adopt them.
But I'm sure your wife will agree to it."
I was shocked. My wife? I turned to Sally and whispered, "Are you okay with this?"
She smiled. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
I felt relieved. If Sally wasn't interested, then I probably shouldn't adopt the kids.
The receptionist gave us a stack of paperwork to fill out. I signed everything, and the adoption process began.
After the initial meeting, I went home and told the rest of our children what had happened. They were excited about the possibility of having more siblings. They wanted to meet the kids, too.
We made an appointment for them to see the twins the next day. The kids were waiting for us when we arrived. They both ran over and hugged us.
Sally and I sat down with the children's social worker. She explained that their mother worked a lot and couldn't afford to raise them. The agency had already found them a new family. Our family was willing to take them, but they needed their approval first.
They looked at each other and nodded. It seemed like the right thing to do.
The children got home and adapted quickly, and loved to build with sand and blocks along with their older siblings. They beam with so much creativity.
My wife and I often watch them with happiness knowing that we provided a place where their talents can be nurtured and give them a chance to be utilized. So we both go to bed each night looking forward to the next day with the kids or maybe the next set of children to adopt.