Siblings Separated at Shelter Meet Again When One Comes to Clean the Other’s Home – Story of the Day

A rich man hires a woman from a cleaning company, unaware that meeting her would open an old emotional wound. He notices something familiar when he sees the woman―a mark on her wrist that sends him down memory lane.

“When are you calling the cleaning services, William?” Sarah asked her husband before he sat at the breakfast table. “This is the last time I am reminding you!”

“Damn it, I forgot again!” William said while closing his eyes shut and slapped his forehead.

“The house is a mess, and I don’t have the time and energy to clean it!” Sarah protested. “I have been reminding you every day for the past week!”

“I promise I will call them today after work,” William replied.

The 40-year-old man worked tirelessly during the day, attending meetings with his clients in his office. He owned a marketing firm that gave had thrived, grown, and allowed him to maintain a luxurious lifestyle.

The downside? William was always working. He rarely found the time or energy to bond with his family. His work commitments did not allow him to look after his share of the household as Sarah wanted. However, this time, he had planned to keep his promise.

It was a typical day for William when he returned home early from work one day. As expected, Sarah was still at work, so the man used this as an opportunity to surprise her.

,” he thought.

After a quick shower, William picked up his phone and called the cleaning company. “Hi, I wanted to hire a cleaning lady urgently,” he said.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the scar on her skin. Where had he seen it before?

The representative on the other end told William he would have to pay double the price for urgent service. “We have someone who can come to your house in the next 30 minutes, but we would charge twice the regular price,” the woman said.

“That’s okay,” William replied cheerfully. “I’ll pay whatever the amount is. Please make sure she arrives on time!”

“Don’t worry, sir,” the woman on the other end said. “Martha will be there in 30 minutes! I’ll send you her details on your phone…”

William heaved a sigh of relief. Sarah won’t be mad at him anymore. He was happy with that tiny bit of accomplishment he felt, unaware of the surprise that was waiting for him.

A few minutes later, he heard the doorbell ring and quickly rushed to open it. He realized he hadn’t bothered to check the details of this woman on his phone. But who cared? She was finally here!

“Hi, I’m Martha from the cleaning company. I’m here to clean your house,” the seemingly shy woman on William’s doorstep introduced herself.

The man looked at Martha from head to toe. She was dressed in orange overalls, wearing gloves and rubber boots, her hair tied back in a messy bun. And she brought two bags worth of cleaning supplies. Thorough, William thought to himself.

“Please come in, Martha,” William said as he opened the door for her.

Then, the man spent five minutes explaining what he wanted her to do. He showed her all the rooms he wanted her to clean, explaining that he wanted to surprise his wife with a tidy house.

“You can count on me, sir!” Martha smiled. “I’ll start from the living room first.”

“That sounds great!” William cheered.

Then, he sat at the kitchen island, watching Martha do her magic as she mopped the floor, cleaned the couches, and ensured every piece of furniture was spotless.

“You’re really good at your job, Martha!” William praised her as he inspected the living room. “How long have you been working for as a cleaner?”

“I joined the company when I was 20,” Martha replied while doing the dishes. “It’s been about fifteen years.”

“Oh, that’s a lot of time to perfect your craft,” William said as he looked at Martha.

Something about her seemed familiar, but William couldn’t figure it out. He felt this wasn’t the first time he was meeting Martha, but he couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.

As Martha walked towards the kitchen island with a cloth in her hand, William’s gaze moved from his phone to her wrist. He couldn’t take his eyes off the scar on her skin. Where had he seen it before?

He silently watched the woman wipe the kitchen island, ensuring the white surface was spotless.

“Why does the scar seem so familiar? Do I know Martha?” William wondered.

He looked at the floor as he fidgeted with his fingers, trying to figure out why Martha’s presence reminded him of his past. As he thought about his childhood, he suddenly realized Martha was not just a cleaner. She was someone he had been looking for.

His gaze shifted towards her as she cleaned the kitchen counter, moving the cleaning cloth in quick, circular motions. At that point, William wanted to tell Martha what was on his mind, but he thought it would be better to confirm his suspicions first.

“So Martha, what was life like growing old? Did you live with your parents?” William asked, his voice tinged with nervousness as he thought his questions might offend her.

Martha heard the question and wondered why the rich man was so chatty. I don’t have time for chatty. I don’t care who you are or how fascinated you are with my life. I’ve got bills to pay, Martha sighed. But of course, she was too polite to say it out loud.

“I grew up in a shelter in San Juan,” she replied sternly while mopping the floor. “I lost my parents in a car accident.”

“What?” William rose to his feet in shock. Her reply was enough to confirm his suspicions. Martha was indeed his long-lost sister, who he had been looking for.

William had lived an ordinary life before he hit the jackpot and became a millionaire. After losing his parents in a car accident, he moved to a shelter with his sister, Mary. Everything was going well until the siblings were separated.

“Mary! It’s you, right?” William asked Martha, his eyes glistening with hope. “You’re my sister! Aren’t you?”

Shocked, Martha looked at William’s face, trying to recognize him. “William? Is that you?” her hands went to her mouth as tears started trickling down her cheeks.

The man immediately hugged his sister, telling her how he had tried to look for her everywhere. “I even contacted the shelter, but they had no leads about you, Mary,” he said, his voice trembling.

When William turned 10, a wealthy businessman adopted him while his sister stayed at the shelter. A few years after being separated from her brother, Mary got an opportunity to work at a cleaning company. She changed her name to Martha because she didn’t want to use her real identity.

“I can’t believe you’re here, William,” Martha hugged her brother tightly.

“I never thought I would see you again.”

The siblings spent the next few hours talking about their lives. William even introduced his sister to Sarah after she returned home from work and felt grateful to God for reuniting him with his little sister.

What can we learn from this story?

• The solution to your problems is just around the corner. William never thought he would meet his long-lost sister through a cleaning company. Their reunion was unexpected, but it restored his faith in fate’s plans.
• Never let difficult circumstances stop you from achieving big things. Martha could have spent her entire life in the shelter, but she left it as soon as she got an opportunity to work. Although her job was low-paying, she did her best, hoping things would improve.

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Click here to read another story about a girl who found an old suitcase in her basement with a sign shaped like a scar on her back.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.