I posted this lovely story ages ago, and I thought I'd post it again as it's so sweet ~
'In November 1992, a 27-year-old woman named Lesley was abandoned by her partner of five years. He left her and his 7-year-old son Alan and moved down to London for a 'new start' - whatever that meant.
Alan was an inquisitive young boy, and he wanted to know the reasons behind his father's absence in great depth. His heartbroken mother told him that his father had found another person he loved more than her, and little Alan said, 'But why? Tell him to come home and we'll give him his favourite ice cream.'
Lesley's heart was burning with sorrow. How could she explain to Alan that his Daddy wouldn't be coming back? She did the best she could to get on with what was left of her life, and she was an amazing single mum. Alan never wanted for anything. The love he lost from his absent Dad was more than compensated for by his mother's constant affection.
Alan was very hyperactive, and Lesley called him the little dynamo, he was so full of energy. She bought him a red tee shirt and joked, 'I was told to make you wear something red like a fire engine so people can see you coming. You move to fast.'
Alan giggled and raced into the garden imitating the sirens of a fire engine.
In 1993, Alan developed an ear infection. The doctor shocked Lesley by asking her to take her son to a specialist at the Royal Liverpool Teaching Hospital.
'Why?' Lesley said, stunned. A ball of fear grew in the pit of her stomach.
'Don't worry,' said the doctor, trying to allay her fear with a stock smile, 'I just want a specialist to check something so we can be sure of something.'
Lesley took little Alan to the hospital and a specialist discovered something that devastated her.
Alan had leukemia. It didn't look good at all.
The little dynamo gradually became too weak to play. His health deteriorated over the months and Lesley was told to expect the end. These last days were the worst. The neighbours helped a great deal, and Lesley's mother and sister did everything they could. One afternoon, Lesley asked to be alone with her son. She was holding Alan in her arms, gently rocking him, when the boy said, 'Will I go to Heaven mummy?'
Lesley almost choked as she gave her reply. 'Of course son.'
The boy said, 'Will you come to Heaven with me?'
Tears were now streaming down Lesley's face. She could only nod.
Alan was very weak. He smiled and said: 'When you get to Heaven I'll have my red tee shirt on so you can see me straight away Mum.'
Alan turned to his mother and just managed a faint kiss, then passed away.
It naturally took Lesley years to recover from the loss of her son. In August 1995, Lesley met a man named Mike, and soon realised she had found her soulmate. They were very compatible, and shared the same interest. Lesley had been so hurt by the experience of losing her son Alan, she didn't tell Mike about him. She thought she'd wait until she was ready to open up and purge all the sorrow inside her.
About a month later, Mike was involved in a car crash in Wrexham, and had to be cut from the vehicle. When he awoke in hospital, he saw Lesley at his bedside, clutching his hand. Mike appeared to be okay, and he related a very strange and thought provoking story. While he had been unconscious, he had seen a little boy surrounded by a halo of golden light, standing in front of him. The boy wore shorts and had on a red short-sleeved tee shirt. His face was beautiful and radiant. The child said, 'Tell Mummy I love her.'
When Lesley heard this she cried with tears of sorrow and joy. She later went to her mothers and took a picture of her late son out of a box and brought it to Mike.
'That's him.' Mike said with a baffled look as he held the child's picture close to his eyes.
Lesley and Mike were later married and they now live in Leeds. '
Hammy x x x
