A greedy brother inherits his grandmother’s house, while his younger sister gets five old, rusty clocks. He mocks her relentlessly, but neither of them could imagine what treasures those timepieces held.

“Oh, so Grandma called you too?!” Brian, 26, sneered at his sister Linda, who was only 19. “I thought you’d be busy at the library, like a good little bookworm.”

Linda had just stepped out of the taxi, her eyes filled with worry. She kept reassuring herself, “Nothing will happen to Grandma. She’ll be fine. She’ll live another hundred years.”

Brian and Linda had come to visit their 90-year-old grandmother, Marlene, who had urgently requested their presence.

“Sweethearts, I want to see you one last time. I may not get another chance,” Marlene had painfully told them over the phone just two days earlier.

Linda walked into Marlene’s bedroom and immediately noticed how dusty it was. Marlene was too frail to take care of the house anymore. The floor was unswept, and the ceiling showed signs of mold from a leak. It broke Linda’s heart to see the home in such disarray.

Linda opened the door to Marlene’s room and rushed to her grandmother’s side. “Grandma!” she cried, wrapping her arms around Marlene. “You’re going to be okay. Don’t worry. God won’t take you away from us—you’re everything to us.”

Until a year ago, Linda had lived with Marlene and cared for her. She had even considered giving up her scholarship to stay by her grandmother’s side, but Marlene had insisted she pursue her dreams and move to the city for her education.

Brian entered the room, coughing sarcastically. “Ugh, I’m allergic to dust! Grandma, haven’t you cleaned this place in ages?” he smirked, showing no real concern for Marlene’s health.

Marlene took Linda’s trembling hands in hers, staring into Brian’s eyes. Linda felt pain seeing her grandmother so weak, her once lively eyes now dim.

With a gentle smile, Marlene sat up and pulled two envelopes from under her pillow. “This is for you both,” she said. “Please use it wisely.”

Linda and Brian opened the envelopes and each found $5,000 inside. Linda’s eyes filled with tears, and she ran out of the room, overcome with emotion.

Brian, on the other hand, frowned in disappointment. “Only this much?” he muttered, clearly ungrateful. He turned on his heel and left without even thanking Marlene.

The next morning, Marlene was surprised to hear a familiar voice.

“Good morning, Grandma!” Linda’s cheerful voice called out. Marlene hadn’t expected her to return.

As Linda opened the curtains, sunlight filled the dark, dusty bedroom. Marlene looked at her granddaughter, surprised that she hadn’t gone back to the city for her studies and job as a part-time librarian.

Linda walked over to Marlene, holding the envelope she had received the day before. “I added the $4,000 I saved last year, Grandma. Now we have $9,000. We can use it for your eye surgery,” she said, smiling.

Marlene shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. “You’re too good to me, dear. But it’s too late for surgery. I can feel my time is almost up. I don’t want to waste that money when it could be used for something more important.”

Linda wiped away Marlene’s tears and assured her, “I’ve taken a month off school. I’m not leaving until I see that beautiful smile on your face again, Grandma.”

Linda was determined to restore her grandmother’s happiness. Having Linda around made a world of difference for Marlene. She no longer had to worry about cooking or eating alone. After Linda returned, Marlene began to feel stronger, and joy returned to her life.

One day, Marlene heard unfamiliar voices outside her room and went to see what was happening. To her surprise, Linda had hired people to renovate the house using the $9,000. They were fixing the leaks and restoring the old charm.

“I knew you always wanted to repair Grandpa’s house,” Linda said. “Are you happy now, Grandma? I wanted you to see it the way you and Grandpa loved it.”

Marlene was speechless. She hugged Linda tightly, tears streaming down her face. She had never cried as much as she did on Linda’s shoulder that day.

Marlene often said, “I want to die when I’m happiest.” A week later, her wish came true. Marlene passed away peacefully in her sleep, leaving Linda with more than just a broken heart.

A few days after the funeral, Linda and Brian were called to the lawyer’s office for a reading of Marlene’s will—something neither of them had known about.

“Mr. White,” the lawyer began, “according to your grandmother’s will, you will inherit the house. Please sign these papers.”

Linda was taken aback. She wasn’t jealous of her brother, but she felt uneasy. She had worked so hard to renovate the house, and now Brian, who had shown no care for Marlene, was getting it.

“And Miss Linda, this is yours,” the lawyer said, pushing a box toward her.

Linda opened the box to find five old, vintage clocks inside. Brian burst into laughter. “Seriously? Grandma left you these old clocks while I got the house? Guess she knew who deserved the best!” he mocked.

Feeling disheartened, Linda took the clocks back to the city. She barely looked at them until one day, when she noticed an engraving on one of them.

“OPEN IT!” was etched in beautiful cursive.

Curious, Linda opened the clock and found a small scroll hidden inside. She unfolded it, her heart skipping a beat.

“Never underestimate these old clocks, dear Linda! These are 100-year-old timepieces made from rare, exquisite metal, each worth $40,000!” began the note.

Linda’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she continued reading.

“Everyone gets what they truly deserve, Linda. I’m glad you received only the best. With love, Granny Marlene.”

Linda clutched the clocks to her chest, crying tears of joy. The clocks still ticked, the rhythm matching her heartbeat. It felt like her grandmother was still with her.

Linda decided not to share her discovery with her brother. “He’s blinded by greed, and I don’t need to prove anything to him. Granny knew who truly deserved the best,” she thought as she locked the rare timepieces safely away.

What Can We Learn From This Story?

Everyone gets what they truly deserve. Brian mocked Linda for inheriting five old clocks, not knowing that each one was worth over $40,000, giving her an inheritance of nearly $200,000.

Love and care for your elders without expecting anything in return. Linda’s unconditional love for her grandmother resulted in her inheriting a priceless legacy.

Share this story with your friends—it might brighten their day and inspire them to appreciate what they have.