A greedy brother inherits the family house and mocks his younger sister for getting five old clocks from their late grandmother. But neither of them realized the real value hidden within those timepieces.

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

Linda had just stepped out of the taxi, her heart heavy with worry. “Nothing will happen to Grandma,” she thought, trying to comfort herself. “She’ll be fine. She’ll live another hundred years.”

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

“Sweethearts, I wish to see you one last time. I might not get another chance again,” Marlene had said over the phone two days ago, her voice weak.

Linda walked into her grandmother’s bedroom and was immediately struck by the state of the place. The room was dusty, the ceiling moldy from leakage, and it was clear that Marlene was too sick and frail to take care of the household chores herself.

Linda opened the door and rushed to Marlene’s bedside. “Grandma!!” she cried, hugging her tightly. “You’ll be fine, Grandma. Please don’t worry. God won’t take you away from us—you’re all we have.”

Linda had lived with Marlene until about a year ago, helping take care of her. She had even considered declining a life-changing scholarship just to stay by her grandmother’s side, but Marlene had insisted she move to the city to pursue her degree.

Brian followed Linda into the room, coughing dramatically. “Jeez… I’m allergic to dust! Grandma, don’t you clean your room anymore?” he said, his tone mocking.

He barely looked at Marlene, who was frail and tired, and instead seemed impatient to know why she had called them. Marlene, meanwhile, gently took two envelopes from under her pillow and handed them to Linda and Brian.

“Sweethearts, this is for you,” she said. “Please use it wisely.”

Linda and Brian opened their envelopes to find $5,000 each. Linda’s eyes filled with tears, and she ran out of the room, overwhelmed by emotion.

Brian, however, was unimpressed. “Only this much? I thought you had more to give,” he muttered. Without so much as a thank-you, he turned and left.

The next morning, Marlene received a surprise.

“Good morning, Grandma!” Linda said as she walked into Marlene’s bedroom. Linda had returned, even though Marlene didn’t expect it.

Marlene awoke as Linda drew back the curtains, filling the room with sunlight. She was surprised to see her granddaughter, expecting Linda had gone back to the city to study and work as a part-time librarian.

Linda walked over to Marlene with the envelope of money she’d been given. “I added the $4,000 I’ve saved over the past year, Grandma. Now we have $9,000—enough to pay for your eye surgery,” she said.

Marlene shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “It’s too late for surgery, sweetheart. I can feel my time coming. I’d rather the money be used for something more meaningful.”

Linda wiped her grandmother’s tears. “Then I’ll stay here and take care of you, Grandma. I’ve taken a month off school, and I’m not going anywhere until I see you smile again.”

Having Linda around made a world of difference for Marlene. She no longer had to worry about cooking or eating alone. Linda’s presence filled her days with warmth, and she felt truly happy again.

One day, Marlene heard voices outside her room and went to see what was happening. She was surprised to see strangers working on repairs around the house. Linda had used the $9,000 to fix the house and repair the leaks.

“I knew you wanted to restore Grandpa’s old house for a long time, Grandma,” Linda said, smiling. “I wanted you to see it in all its glory again, just like you remembered it with Grandpa.”

Marlene hugged Linda, tears pouring down her face. She had never cried so much as she did that day, overwhelmed with gratitude.

Marlene often said, “I want to die at my happiest.” Just a week later, her wish came true—she 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 regarding Marlene’s will. Neither of them had known about it.

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

Linda wasn’t jealous of her brother, but she was worried. After all, she had worked so hard to renovate the house, and now Brian, who had never appreciated it, was inheriting it.

“And Miss Linda, this is for you,” the lawyer said, handing Linda a box.

Linda opened it and found five old vintage clocks inside. Brian burst into laughter. “Seriously? Grandma gave you these old, rusty clocks while I got the house? Guess she knew who deserved the best!” he mocked.

Distraught, Linda returned to the city with the clocks. She didn’t pay much attention to them until one day, she noticed an engraving on one of the clocks.

“OPEN IT!” was inscribed in elegant cursive on the metal.

Curious, Linda opened the clock and found a small scroll hidden inside. She unfolded it and was left stunned.

“Never underestimate these old clocks, dear Linda! These are 100-year-old vintage timepieces crafted from rare metal, worth $40,000 each!” the note read. Linda’s eyes welled up with tears of joy.

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

Linda held the clocks close, tears streaming down her face. She could still hear them ticking, almost in rhythm with her heartbeat. It felt like her grandmother was still with her.

Linda chose not to tell her brother about her discovery. “Let him believe he got the best. Granny knew who truly deserved it, and I don’t need to prove it to him,” she thought, locking the precious clocks away safely.

What Can We Learn From This Story?

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

Love and care for your elders without expecting anything in return. Linda loved her grandmother unconditionally and was rewarded with a priceless legacy.

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