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Learn English through Stories Level 3 ⭐ Waiting for My Son - Emotional English Story for Listening Practice

My name is Olivia. I am seventy-two years old. I am an old woman. I live alone in a small house in a village. My husband died many years ago. My only son, Michael, left home twenty years ago after a big fight. He never came back. He never called. He never sent a letter. I waited every day, but he did not come.
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Transcript
00:00My name is Olivia. I am 72 years old. I am an old woman. I live alone in a small house in a village.
00:10My husband died many years ago. My only son, Michael, left home 20 years ago after a big fight.
00:20He never came back. He never called. He never sent a letter. I waited every day, but he did not come.
00:30I was sad, but I did not cry in front of others.
00:35Every Sunday, I wrote a letter. I wrote about how much I missed him.
00:41I also wrote that I was sorry, but I never sent the letters. I kept all the letters in a small wooden box.
00:51A young man named Nathan worked at the post office. He came to my house every Monday.
00:57He asked me,
01:00Do you have any letters today? I always smiled and said,
01:05Not this week.
01:07Nathan never asked more, but he once saw the wooden box.
01:13He knew it had many letters inside.
01:16He knew they were for someone I loved.
01:19One Sunday, I felt very weak.
01:23My heart felt heavy, but I still wrote the letter.
01:28At the end of the letter, I did something new.
01:33I wrote Michael's old address.
01:37I remembered it from long ago.
01:40I put the letter on the table and said,
01:43Maybe it's time.
01:46The next morning, Nathan came as usual.
01:50He knocked on the door and waited.
01:54I opened the door slowly.
01:56My hands were shaking.
02:03I felt tired.
02:05I gave Nathan a white envelope and asked,
02:08Can you send this, dear?
02:11Nathan was surprised.
02:13For the first time in many years,
02:15I was posting a letter.
02:18He looked at the envelope.
02:20The name on it was Michael.
02:21He looked at me, but I had already walked back to my chair.
02:28Nathan walked out of the house and looked at the letter again.
02:34He didn't know who Michael was,
02:37but now he understood that he was someone I had missed for a long time.
02:43Nathan went to the post office.
02:46He added a note on the envelope.
02:49Please deliver if this person still lives here.
02:53He paid for a faster delivery,
02:56even though I hadn't asked for it.
03:00Two days later, Nathan visited me again.
03:03I was in bed, feeling very weak.
03:06My eyes opened slowly when I saw him.
03:10Did you send it?
03:12I asked.
03:13Nathan smiled and said,
03:16Yes, I did.
03:17I smiled and closed my eyes.
03:21Far from the village in a busy city,
03:24Michael lived in a small apartment.
03:27He worked in a repair shop and lived alone.
03:31He did not have many friends.
03:34His heart was full of old pain.
03:38He never spoke about his past.
03:41He never told anyone about me.
03:44He thought I must have forgotten him.
03:48He thought I would be angry forever,
03:51so he stayed away.
03:54We had not spoken for 20 years.
03:58One evening, Michael came home and saw an envelope on his table.
04:03It had no sender name, just his old address.
04:07He opened it.
04:08He read the first two words,
04:11Dear Michael.
04:13His hands froze.
04:15His eyes filled with tears.
04:17The letter was short but full of love.
04:21I said I was sorry.
04:23I said I missed him every day.
04:26I wrote,
04:27My heart never stopped waiting for you.
04:30Michael held the letter to his chest.
04:33He sat down and cried like a child.
04:36That night, Michael did not sleep.
04:41He read the letter again and again.
04:44He remembered the day he left.
04:47He had shouted at me.
04:49He had blamed me for things.
04:51But now, he felt like a son again.
04:55A son who wanted to go home.
04:59The next morning, he packed a small bag.
05:02He didn't care about work.
05:04He just wanted to see me.
05:07He wanted to hold my hand.
05:10He wanted to say the words he had kept in his heart.
05:15I'm sorry, too.
05:16He took the first bus to the village.
05:20His heart beat fast.
05:22He kept asking himself,
05:24Will she still be there?
05:27Will she open the door?
05:28His heart was full of fear.
05:32Michael reached the village after many hours.
05:36He was going to his house after twenty years.
05:40He stood outside his house for a long time.
05:45He looked at the door, the windows, the garden.
05:49Nothing had changed.
05:51He raised his hand to knock but stopped.
05:54What if she doesn't open the door?
05:58He thought.
06:00What if I'm too late?
06:01His heart beat faster.
06:03But then he remembered the letter.
06:06My words.
06:08Slowly, he knocked.
06:11There was no sound.
06:13He waited and knocked again.
06:17Still no answer.
06:18Just then, Nathan opened the door.
06:25Nathan looked at him, confused.
06:28Yes, he asked.
06:30Michael said, I'm Michael.
06:32I got a letter from Olivia.
06:35Nathan opened the door.
06:39Come in, he said.
06:41She's inside.
06:43But she's not well.
06:45Michael walked in.
06:46Nathan took him to the bedroom.
06:49I lay on the bed.
06:51My eyes were closed.
06:53I was very weak.
06:55Nathan touched my hand.
06:57Mother, he said.
06:58My eyes opened.
07:00I turned my head, and then my eyes saw him.
07:04Michael, I whispered.
07:06Michael held my hand and cried.
07:09It's me, Mother.
07:10I'm here.
07:11I got your letter, so I came.
07:14Tears filled my eyes.
07:16You came back, I said.
07:19I waited so long.
07:21Michael nodded.
07:23I...
07:23I'm sorry, Mother.
07:25I was angry.
07:26I was foolish.
07:28Please forgive me.
07:30I smiled and said,
07:32You don't need to say sorry, son.
07:34You came.
07:35That's enough.
07:36For a few minutes, we just held hands.
07:39No more words.
07:41No more questions.
07:42Michael sat beside me all night.
07:46At dawn, I looked at him and said,
07:50You must be tired.
07:52Michael replied,
07:53No, Mother.
07:54I've been tired for 20 years,
07:57but tonight I can finally rest.
07:59I smiled.
08:01For the first time in 20 years, I had slept peacefully, and Michael had stayed awake all night.
08:10Not because of pain, but because he was afraid to lose this moment.
08:16I opened my eyes and saw my son.
08:19You're still here, I whispered.
08:22Michael said,
08:24I'm not going anywhere, Mother.
08:26Not again.
08:26I nodded and said,
08:30I feel better today.
08:32Michael brought me tea.
08:33I said,
08:34This feels like old times.
08:36He smiled and said,
08:38This is just the beginning, Mother.
08:41I've come home.
08:43Later that day,
08:45Nathan came to visit.
08:48He smiled when he saw us together.
08:50I said,
08:51I said,
08:53Nathan,
08:54This is my son,
08:56the one I used to write to.
08:58It's good to meet you, Michael.
09:01I think your mother's letters kept her alive.
09:05She never missed a Sunday.
09:09Michael looked at the wooden box and opened it.
09:12There were too many letters.
09:15He picked one.
09:16The date was from 10 years ago.
09:19He read it.
09:21He read another and another.
09:24He could not stop.
09:26His mother had never stopped hoping.
09:29Never stopped writing.
09:31Never stopped loving.
09:34Days passed.
09:36My health got better.
09:38Michael cleaned the house,
09:40cooked dinner,
09:41and took care of me.
09:42He told me about his lonely life in the city.
09:46Both of us cried.
09:47Both of us healed.
09:51On Sunday,
09:52I asked for my writing pen.
09:55Michael brought it and said,
09:57Writing again?
09:58I said,
09:59One last time.
10:00I wrote,
10:02Dear Michael,
10:03You came back.
10:05That is all I ever wanted.
10:07My Sundays will not need letters now.
10:10You are here.
10:11You are my home.
10:12And my heart is full.
10:15Thank you, my son,
10:17For giving this old woman her smile back.
10:21With love.
10:22Mother.
10:24I folded the paper and gave it to him.
10:27This one is for you.
10:29Keep it.
10:30Michael held the letter close to his heart.
10:34He didn't say anything,
10:36But his eyes spoke everything.
10:40That week,
10:41Michael found a job in the same village.
10:44He decided to stay forever.
10:47He did not want to miss another moment.
10:52He cooked meals,
10:53Helped neighbors,
10:55And took me on walks.
10:57Nathan visited often.
11:00We became like family.
11:01I lived for two more years.
11:06Peaceful,
11:06Happy,
11:07Loved.
11:08And when I passed away,
11:11I had my son beside me,
11:13Holding my hand.
11:16After the funeral,
11:18Michael took all the letters
11:20And put them in a new box.
11:22He wrote on top,
11:24Letters of love.
11:27Every Sunday,
11:28Instead of writing letters,
11:30He read one.
11:31He cried,
11:33But never felt alone again.
11:37Years later,
11:39Michael got married.
11:41He named his daughter Olivia.
11:43And every Sunday,
11:45He told her stories about an old woman,
11:50A box of letters,
11:52And a love that never gave up.
11:56If you liked this story,
11:58Please like,
11:59Comment,
12:00Share,
12:01And subscribe.
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