Elderly Couple Let Teen Stay For A Week, Regret It When They Find Out Who He Really Is

They Had To Do Something

Mr. and Mrs. Peters couldn’t believe they were in this position. They shouldn’t be in jail at their age. But they trusted the young man and only wanted to help.

Yet, there they were, questioning all the decisions they had made over the last three weeks. What would they do now that they knew the truth? Would they cut their losses? Or take another risk?

Mr. & Mrs. Peters

Mr. and Mrs. Peters were an old retired couple. Both of them were in their seventies, and all they wanted to do was enjoy their retirement.

However, at their age, things didn’t come as easily as they used to anymore. The simplest of things had become chores, and other things had to be dropped completely. So this would’ve been a perfect opportunity for them.

Age Was Catching Up

Even going to do their grocery shopping had become a hassle. They usually shopped for a week at a time, but they could no longer drive and had to rely on Uber to get around.

Plus, they had to carry all their groceries from the shop to the car, which was hard enough on its own. They had gotten to the point where they had to admit defeat.

A Surprising Offer

Then one day, as the couple were doing their shopping, they were approached by a young man. They could see that he was homeless. But he had a friendly demeanor and even offered to help them carry their bags.

The couple was stunned by his generosity and gladly let the man help. They even offered to give him something for his trouble. If only they knew the truth.

Sweet Young Man

The young man refused the money, stating that the deed of doing something for another person was good enough for him. The couple was stunned.

They started talking to the man, who introduced himself as Jamal. And he turned out to be one of the sweetest people they had ever met. But Jamal had his secrets, and they would uncover them soon enough.

Making An Offer

For the rest of that day, the Peters couldn’t get Jamal off their minds. Even their own grandchildren had given up on them. But this boy had gone out of his way to help, and he wanted nothing in return.

That touched them in ways they never thought possible. So they went back the next day and made the young man an offer.

They Needed Help

The Peters explained that they needed help around the house. They needed someone who could buy their groceries and take care of their garden.

Things they had been unable to do for quite some time. And in return, they made an offer he couldn’t resist if he wanted to. What did they have in mind?

He Needed A Place To Stay

The Peters told Jamal that they had an extra room in their home where he could stay. They also offered three warm meals per day and some money for the chores he completed.

Jamal was over the moon and immediately accepted the offer. But he remained quiet about his past and the problems it would cause the old couple.

Everything Was Fine

For the first few days, everything went great. Jamal had settled in pretty quickly, and he was getting along with the Peters. He completed every chore on his list and often spent the evenings in the kitchen, learning as Mrs. Peters cooked.

It felt like they had a child once more, and the Peters loved it. But things were about to take a turn for the worse, and it was all because of the young man they welcomed into their home.

A Week Had Passed

The first week of their agreement flew by without a hitch. Jamal received his first payment, and he decided to use the money to buy something he could cook as a way to express his gratitude.

No one knew what was about to happen the next day. But it was something so big that it would change all of their lives forever.

Not A Single Problem

As they sat down to have the first meal Jamal ever cooked on his own, Mrs. Peters commented on how easy it was for them to adjust to each other.

Jamal looked proud of all he had achieved, and he deserved to be. He had turned the old couple’s world around. And he made their lives so much easier. But that was about to change.

One Fateful Day

The very next day was one filled with devastation and concern. Jamal had left the house that morning, and he never returned.

What happened to the young man? Had he taken the money and fled? Or was there something more sinister going on behind the scenes? Were Mr. and Mrs. Peters in danger? What on earth was going on?

He Went Out Shopping

Jamal left at 7 am that morning. He had taken the car that he had helped Mr. Peters restore. His task wasn’t a long one. All he had to do was drive into town, buy the groceries, and return.

It shouldn’t have taken more than two hours. But those two hours quickly turned to four, and there was no sign of the young man being anywhere in the area.

Never Returned

The day passed, and before they knew it, the sun was setting. The couple was getting concerned about the young man being out so late.

They had come up with every possible scenario, but nothing could explain it. They thought they knew Jamal, and they never expected him to run off. Were they right? Or had the young man deceived them?

A Few Days Passed

Mr. and Mrs. Peters tried to get the police involved, but they were told to wait twenty-four hours. The police stated that Jamal was an adult and, thus, he could make his own decisions.

They couldn’t interfere until they were certain that he was missing. The couple decided that it was best to follow their advice and waited for a few more days. But Jamal never showed up.

They Opened A Case

Two days later, the couple called the police again, and this time, they managed to file a missing person’s report. The police told them what to expect and sent them on their way.

But that did nothing to dull their concern. Mr. and Mrs. Peters wanted Jamal to come back, and they wanted to know what was going on. But so far, they had no answers.

One Week Later

A whole week had passed, and the couple still had no answers. There was still no sign of Jamal, and the police officers still had no updates on the situation.

But the couple would have the answers soon enough. And they might not be happy about what they would uncover. The real Jamal wasn’t the person they thought he was.

Two Weeks Went By

Another week had passed, and by that time, the couple had lost all hope. So many people had warned them about young Jamal, and they were starting to believe the stories.

What if he really did take their car and money? What if he really just used them to get what he wanted? The truth was so much more tragic.

They Hadn’t Seen Him

Not knowing what else to do, the couple made their way to town. They went to the grocery store and started asking about Jamal.

To their surprise, no one had seen Jamal on the day he went missing. That meant he never made it to town. But the couple didn’t want to get their hopes up, so they kept asking around, thinking someone must’ve seen him.

Not A Word From The Police

After an entire day’s worth of searching, the couple decided to give up. No one who knew Jamal saw him that fateful day. And the worst part was that the police didn’t even seem to be looking.

Mr. and Mrs. Peters hadn’t heard from the police once since they filed the report. And they suspected that the department had just given up on the young homeless man. But they were about to get all the answers.

A Strange Phone Call

It was nearly midnight when Mr. Peters’ phone rang. He was groggy and confused but answered it nonetheless. He had no idea that this call would change everything.

“Good evening Mr. Peters. My name is Officer Jones, and I’m calling from the Douglas County Police Department. We have your son,” the man on the other end of the line said.

They Didn’t Understand

Mr. Peters was utterly confused. He had three grown children, but none of them were boys, and none of them lived in Colorado. So what was the officer talking about?

Then Mr. Peters heard something that would blow the case wide open. “I’m telling you! The Peters adopted me! I didn’t steal that car!” Jamal’s voice blared in the background.

What Was Going On?

Mr. Peters jumped out of bed the minute he heard Jamal’s voice. And in the process, he woke Mrs. Peters.

“What’s going on, dear?” Mrs. Peters asked. “They found Jamal,” Mr. Peters said as he pulled his jersey over his shoulders. What was happening? Why was Jamal getting arrested? And how was the car involved in all this?

They Went To See Him

Even though it was late, the Peters’ wanted to know what was going on, so they decided to go down to the jail to find out what had happened to Jamal.

The entire journey took them about an hour. But they had no idea what they were in for. This trip would lead them down the path of discovery, and they might not like what they were about to hear.

He Was Ashamed

When they first saw Jamal, they could see two things. The boy was incredibly ashamed, and he had been crying. It was almost like he didn’t want to see them.

But he couldn’t stop himself from hugging the pair. They could feel the relief flowing from him in waves, and they couldn’t help but smile. But they still wanted answers, and they wouldn’t be leaving without them.

He Never Wanted To Involve Them

“I’m so sorry,” Jamal said as his tears started flowing once more. “I never wanted this to happen. I never wanted my past to interfere with the life I was building with you.”

“What happened, son?” Mr. Peters asked. He just wanted to know where the young man had been for the last two weeks. He wanted to know why he didn’t come home.

The Truth Was Revealed

That was when Jamal opened up completely. He told the Peters that he got caught up with the wrong crowd when he was just a teen.

And they had come for revenge. They pushed him off the road while he was headed to the store. And when he finally managed to get away from them, they called the police to report that he had stolen the car.

A Rough Childhood

Jamal had a very tough childhood. His father had been arrested when he was just a boy, and his mother was never around. So he did what he had to do.

He hustled. He stole. And in the end, he ended up hanging out with the wrong group of people. He stayed with them for years, but at the age of fourteen, he realized his mistake.

He Tried To Escape

When he realized what he had gotten himself caught up in, Jamal tried to leave the gang. But it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be.

They weren’t just going to let him go, and he learned that the hard way. So he skipped town, came to Douglas County, and took on a new identity.

What Would They Do?

Now that the Peters knew the whole truth, they had a decision to make. Would they accept what they heard, pay the bail, and take Jamal home? Or would they leave him to suffer the consequences of his actions?

The couple decided to take a page from the boy’s book. He was kind to them, and they would repay that kindness as they had promised.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.