James was renowned in his community for his compassionate nature. He was a beloved economics teacher at a local school and had a great rapport with all of his students. Together with his wife, Harriet, they ran a community center in a nearby church and devoted a considerable amount of time and resources to charitable causes, including soup kitchens.
“We’re always here to help in any way we can,” James frequently remarked. The couple had two sons, Michael and Frank, both of whom were in college. The family was devoutly religious and attended church services every Sunday.
One day, while returning home from school, James noticed an abandoned stroller on the side of the road and felt a strange sensation. Trusting his intuition, he stopped his car to investigate. To his surprise, he found a young boy with Down Syndrome in the stroller.
James remained with the child, hoping that his parents would come looking for him, but nobody appeared. Upon examining the stroller, James discovered that the boy’s identification documents were tucked inside one of the pockets. The child’s name was Paul. James phoned the police to report the situation, and they instructed him to come to the station.
“We haven’t received any reports of a missing child matching this boy’s description. We can take him to the children’s shelter or find another solution,” the officer informed James.
James gazed at Paul and was apprehensive about leaving him all alone. He had a soft spot for children and hoped that his wife wouldn’t object to him bringing Paul home.
“He was abandoned all by himself. I didn’t know what to do. Do you think we could look after him for a while?” James inquired of Harriet when he returned home. “You know what we always say. We’ll do whatever we can,” Harriet responded.
***
On that particular evening, a wealthy couple named Gabriel and Daniella boarded a private jet and departed from the city. The couple seemed agitated, and Daniella gazed out the airplane window.
“I’m not certain, Gabriel. Are you positive that we did the right thing? Where exactly did you leave him?” Daniella inquired.
“No surveillance cameras recorded my actions,” Gabriel replied.
“That’s not what I was referring to,” Daniella replied.
“Think about it, do you know how much attention a baby with Down Syndrome requires? We’re both young. We have our entire lives ahead of us. We both have our careers to consider. That’s a kind Christian community down there. I’m certain someone will care for him. This is for the greater good,” Gabriel stated.
Gabriel was a 25-year-old entrepreneur who traveled extensively for his thriving business. He was renowned for being a heartless and calculating businessman who only cared about his own success. He treated Daniella as a trophy wife and made all decisions on their behalf.
***
James and Harriet had made the decision to adopt Paul, a child with Down Syndrome. They were determined to raise him in a way that would make him feel loved and supported.
“Paul, we want you to know that you are special, and there’s nothing you can’t do,” Harriet said, giving Paul a warm hug.
James added, “We don’t want you to think of yourself as disabled, but rather as differently abled. You have so much potential, and we believe in you.”
Paul smiled, feeling loved and accepted. Over the next few months, James and Harriet encouraged him to participate in various activities, including market days at his school, where he would sell homemade desserts.
His fine motor skills developed at an impressive rate, and he quickly became known for his delicious homemade ice cream. The neighborhood was soon obsessed with his treats, and they started requesting more, even on days when there were no market days.
“One of these days, I’m gonna have to start driving an ice cream truck around town,” Paul joked.
James thought about this idea and mentioned it to his two older sons when they came home for the holidays.
“Guys, you have to try Paul’s ice cream. He’s an ice cream wizard. He was joking about buying an ice cream truck, but he could make a killing next summer if he tried,” James said excitedly.
Michael, the eldest son, had an idea. “There’s this guy at college whose dad owns a car refurbishment company. Maybe if we get an old ice cream truck, we could get it redone and a new paint job. Who knows? Paul could sell his ice cream in the summer,” he suggested.
***
Paul’s 16th birthday was coming up, and James, Michael, and Frank wanted to make it extra special. They had a secret plan to get Paul an ice cream truck, just in time for the summer holidays.
On the morning of his birthday, James led Paul outside with his eyes closed. “Okay, open your eyes now,” he said.
To Paul’s surprise, there was a shiny red and white truck parked in front of him with the words “Ice Cream For Sale” written across the side.
“But…I can’t even drive yet,” Paul said in disbelief.
Michael and Frank grinned. “Someone has to serve the ice cream, kid,” Frank said, patting him on the back.
Paul hugged James before running to his older brothers, tears of joy streaming down his face. They fitted the back of the truck with everything Paul would need to sell ice cream, and it looked perfect.
“Well, that settles it then. Paul’s ice cream is going to be for sale all summer!” James exclaimed.
Every day, Paul made fresh batches of ice cream in seven different flavors. James, Michael, and Frank took turns driving the truck around town while Paul sold from the side window.
Business immediately boomed, and Paul needed to make bigger and bigger batches to meet the demand. He had never been happier and thanked his adoptive family every day for being so supportive.
“This is the best summer ever!” Paul exclaimed, as he handed a customer a cone filled with his famous strawberry ice cream.
James smiled, watching his son thrive. “Yes, it is. And there are many more to come,” he said, patting Paul on the back.
***
Gabriel and Daniella were driving through town, the first time they had returned since abandoning Paul 16 years ago. Times had been tough for the couple, despite their wealth. Last year, during a skiing trip, Gabriel had a nasty fall that left him paralyzed from the waist down, confined to a wheelchair.
“I’ve been having these vivid dreams about Paul,” Daniella said. “I know it’s been ages, but I still think about him all the time. Do you remember that heart-shaped mole on his cheek? I wonder how he’s doing now.”
“Is that why you brought us back here?” Gabriel asked.
Daniella didn’t respond, staring out of the window. They decided to stop for ice cream on one of the hottest days of the year. They found a bright red and white ice cream truck in the middle of town and pulled over.
“What can I get you?” Paul, the ice cream truck vendor, asked.
“One strawberry and one mint chocolate chip,” Daniella said as she reached for her purse.
As Paul scooped the ice cream into cones, Daniella looked up and gasped. “Oh my God, that’s him, I remember this heart-shaped mole on his cheek” she thought.
Paul, none the wiser, hands her both ice creams and said, “Don’t get brain freeze. Have a nice day.” As Daniella pushed Gabriel away, her voice quivered as she said, “Gabriel, that was him. That was Paul. He had the same mole on his cheek? remember? We should say something. We should tell him.”
Gabriel coughed in surprise before responding, “No, that’s not a good idea. What would we say? What if he’s better off without us? What if he questions why we deserted him? We might cause more harm than good.”
“Give me your wallet now!” demanded Daniella. Gabriel handed his wallet over, looking confused.
Daniella hurried back to the ice cream truck and said, “Use this money to give away several batches of ice cream for free. We’re paying for it.”
“Thank you, ma’am. That’s very kind of you,” Paul replied, looking puzzled.
Realizing that the money was sufficient to cover all his ice cream for the day, Paul shouted, “For one time only, free ice cream on the house, or should I say, truck! Come and get it, ladies and gentlemen, while it’s cold!”
Daniella and Gabriel checked into a local hotel and continued to argue throughout the evening. Eventually, Daniella persuaded Gabriel that they should talk to Paul or regret it for the rest of their lives.
The next day, they tracked down Paul’s ice cream truck and confessed everything.
“We abandoned you in this town when you were a baby. We’ve felt ashamed ever since and thought about you all the time. We’re so sorry for what we did to you and for abandoning you. We hope you don’t hate us. We’re so thrilled to see you flourishing,” Daniella explained to Paul.
“I don’t hate you, Daniella. I don’t hate you either, Gabriel,” Paul responded calmly.
“The Lord works in mysterious ways. Maybe I should thank you. Thank you for helping me find a loving father, a loving mother, and two loving brothers. I’m really happy. You both look fancy, and you could have given me all the money in the world, but all I want to do is make some good ice cream and spend time with my family,” the teenager said with a slight smile.
“I hope to see you both around, but you’ll have to buy one strawberry and one mint chocolate chip. That’s the price of admission,” Paul said, looking at the couple with tears in their eyes.
Since then, Daniella and Gabriel have visited Paul from time to time and bought ice cream from him. Paul eventually became a successful entrepreneur with his own ice cream brand, but he never left his hometown and preferred to spend time with his adoptive family.
