A poor man is stunned to wake up one morning to find his father’s old trailer in his garden with a note from his older brother – but the despised heirloom ends up making his fortune.
Mark Kendrick was struggling. When he got married, life seemed like it was going to go off without a hitch. He had a good job, and his wife, Sally, too. But in 2008, his wife lost her job as a chef when the restaurant where she worked closed.
Finding themselves with a huge mortgage, two children and only one salary, the Kendricks struggled to get by. When Mark’s father died in 2019, his estate – which was considerable – had all gone to his brother, Jim. It seemed that Mark had no respite.
Although Mark never told anyone, not even Sally, the terms of his father’s will had hurt him deeply. Mark is the younger brother of almost 20 years and the child of his father’s second marriage.
He understood that the business and the big house his father had lived in had belonged to Jim’s late mother and was rightfully hers, but Mark had thought his father would leave him a token of his esteem.
When Mark was little, his father had often played hide and seek with him. The little boy would often find a little treat under his pillow with a word – chocolate or candy – and the word always said, “Daddy loves you, Mark”.
They were going on vacation – Mark, his mother and his father – in their old trailer. His half-brother, Jim, never wanted to go. He always looked up at their “shabby trailer” and drove off with his friends from college.
Mark cherished the memories of his father. | Source: Unsplash
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The trio traveled the roads of America stopping whenever the name of a town appealed to them, and the first meal they had was always his father’s spicy clam chowder.
These vacations were Mark’s fondest childhood memories, and they ended when his mother died of cancer when Mark was fifteen. After that, the caravan remained in the garden.
The memories of our family and the good times we had together are the most precious things we have.
Mark’s father was no more than a shadow of himself and had become almost a recluse. In his later years, he refused to see anyone, even his sons and grandchildren.
Then, two years after his father died, Mark wakes up to find the old trailer parked in his driveway! He immediately phoned his brother. “Jim, what’s going on?” he asked her. “Did you leave the trailer here?”
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Mark, his mother and father traveled all over America in their trailer. | Source: Pexel
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His brother was abrupt. “The old man wanted you to have this pile of junk,” he said. “And it takes up space that I need. So you take it and throw your own garbage!”
“Jim,” Mark asked calmly. “Why can’t we be friends?”
“Are you asking me why?” Jim asks bitterly. “He loved you more than he ever loved me, he spent more time with you in that stupid trailer than with me. That’s why!”
Mark hung up the phone sadly, then he got out and climbed into the old trailer. It was sadly neglected and would need a lot of work before it could be used again.
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Mark was devastated by the death of his father. | Source: Unsplash
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Mark sat down on his old bed and tested the mattress. He was going to have to buy a new one. Then, out of old habit, he slipped his hand under the pillow. To his surprise, he felt something there!
There was an envelope under the pillow with his name on it! He opened it and found a passbook for an account with a balance of over $60,000! In the envelope was a recipe for her father’s soup and a note.
The note said: “My dear Mark, this recipe and the memories of the good times we shared are all I have to leave you. I hope this money will be useful to you. It’s not much, but it can help you find your way. Remember me. Daddy loves you, Mark.“
Mark had tears in his eyes. He took the bankbook and showed it to Sally. “It’s not bad…”, she said. “It’s not the millions Jim got, but it will help. You can also sell the old trailer. It should make you a little more money.”
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His father left Mark a recipe, his trailer and $60,000. | Source: Unsplash
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Mark was shocked. “I’m not going to sell my father’s caravan!” he shouts. “No way !”
“I don’t want this pile of junk left in the garden!” Sally exclaims annoyed.
Mark sat on the porch watching the trailer for hours. It certainly needed a lot of work… Then he took his father’s recipe out of his pocket and stared at it. “Sally!” he cries. “Come here! I have an idea!”
“What is it, Mark?” she asked.
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Mark’s dad’s recipe was a big hit. | Source: Unsplash
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“You know, you always said you wanted to have your own restaurant?” he asked enthusiastically, pointing to the old trailer. “It’s here !”
“Are you crazy?” exclaims Sally.
“No!” said Mark. “Look, we’re turning this old trailer into a mobile restaurant / food truck. We’re making my dad’s amazing clam chowder… We’re painting it in bright, happy colors and we’re putting up some lights…”
“That might work,” Sally said thoughtfully. “If we can afford the licenses…”
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Mark and Sally have opened a fleet of food trucks. | Source: Pexel
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They could and they did. Soon people are coming from all over town to eat Pop’s Chowder soup and Mark has to quit his job to help Sally. They created a franchise, and before long, there were Pop’s Chowder food trucks all over the state.
Mark is delighted. His father’s memory was honored every day, with every bite a satisfied customer took of this incredible clam chowder. And thanks to this inheritance, he took good care of his family.
Mark called Jim and invited him and his family to join them for a family lunch in the renovated old trailer. Jim came over, ate the chowder, and the two brothers made peace, as their father would have wanted.
What can we learn from this story?
- The memories of our family and the good times spent together are the most precious things we have.. Mark’s older brother only valued the house and money he inherited from his father and didn’t realize the rusty old trailer was a treasure.
- Family is the most important thing you can have. Mark treasured his family and his father, and he was saddened to be separated from his brother.
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If you liked this story, discover the story of this old woman who half disinherit their children after hearing them argue in the hospital room.
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