My 75-Year-Old Father Asked Me to Drive Him 1,300 Miles on His Birthday

My dad has always been the adventurous type, and I definitely take after him in that way. It’s something we’ve always had in common.

A week before his birthday, I visited him at the nursing home, and he said, “Fill up your tank—we’ve got a long journey ahead!” I was confused, especially when he mentioned some “very important meeting.” When I asked for details, all he said was, “You’ll find out soon enough!”

So, in true adventurous spirit, I went along with his wild idea. Three days before his birthday, we hit the road, heading for a coastal town he’d pointed out on the map.

After a couple of exhausting days on the road, we finally made it. Dad was visibly nervous, and we waited for what felt like forever on an empty beach. Suddenly, a young woman, maybe 25, approached us from behind.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she said, breaking the silence.
My dad blinked. “Do I know you?”

“No. But my grandfather does.”

She was Ellie, and her story unraveled like a thread I didn’t know had been pulled.

Ellie’s grandfather was the person my dad was here to meet. 60 years ago, the two of them had been Boy Scouts together. They’d made a pact to meet on this very beach on my dad’s 75th birthday, no matter what.

“But he’s sick,” Ellie said softly, her words laced with regret. “He’s blind now, and bedridden. He couldn’t make the trip himself, but he made me promise to come in his place. And to give you this. Happy Birthday.”

She handed my dad a small gift-wrapped box.

He opened it slowly, and when he saw what was inside, he let out a strangled laugh. It was a baseball card in pristine condition, encased in a plastic sleeve.

“This is the same card,” he said, his voice thick with disbelief. “The same one I begged him to give me, but he wouldn’t.”

Ellie nodded. “He’s kept it all these years. He said it was his way of remembering you.”

Dad’s eyes filled with tears.

“I have to see him,” he said, his voice breaking. “I have to thank him.”

Ellie hesitated.

“It’s a five-hour drive,” she said gently. “And he’s… he’s not doing well. I don’t know if—”

“We’re going,” Dad interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Right now.”

The drive to Ellie’s grandfather’s house was tense. Dad was restless, and muttering under his breath like he was willing time to speed up.

I knew how much this meant to him, and there was no way I was going to let him down.

As we finally arrived, the house was quiet. Ellie’s mother met us at the door, her face pale and solemn.
“He passed away this morning,” she said gently. “Just after you left, Ellie.”

My dad staggered back, his breath hitching as he shook his head.

“No,” he murmured, his voice cracking. “No, we made a promise.”

His shoulders heaving with the kind of grief I’d never seen from him before. This was the man who had been my rock, my hero, and now he was breaking right in front of me.

I kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Dad,” I said quietly. “The promise was honored. He sent Ellie and he sent the card. He remembered you.”

He looked at me, his eyes red and raw. “But I didn’t get to see him. I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

I didn’t have the right words to fix it, but I stayed with him, my hand steady on his shoulder as the waves of sorrow crashed over him.

Some promises, I realized, didn’t need witnesses to matter. Maybe this was one of them.

Related Posts

This 1977 Playmate of the year is still married to an iconic American tennis player. Check-her-out at 73 years old

Patti McGuire became a well-known figure in the 1970s as a model, actress, and cultural icon. Best remembered for her appearance as Playboy’s Playmate of the Year…

Entitled Couple on Plane Demands I Cover My Face Because My Scars ‘Scare’ Them — Flight Attendant & Captain Put Them in Their Place

The Trip That Revolutionized Everything Perhaps the way people stared made the airport feel colder than normal. I held onto my boarding card tightly, as though it…

I Overheard My Neighbor’s Daughter and My Husband Discussing Their Affair – Instead of Making a Scene, I Invited Her to Our House the Next Day

Mark and I have been married for 10 years, with two kids, a mortgage, and what I thought was a solid life. Sure, Mark never helped around…

Homeless Man Asked Me to Buy Him Coffee on His Birthday — Hours Later, He Sat Next to Me in First Class

Jimmy was stunned when the homeless man he’d bought coffee for earlier boarded the plane and sat beside him in first class. Who was he, and why…

My Husband Kept Taking Our Kids to ‘Visit Grandma’—Until One Day, My Daughter Revealed, ‘Grandma Is Just a Secret Code’

When my husband, Mike, started taking our kids, Ava and Ben, to “visit Grandma” every Saturday, I thought nothing of it. But when my daughter let something…

All My Left Socks Started Disappearing – When I Found Out Why, My Heart Stopped

I know what you’re thinking: who cares about missing socks, right? Believe me, if you were in my shoes (pun intended), you would have done the same…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *