On a breezy autumn afternoon, Liam stood at his Grandpa’s neglected grave, holding a bouquet of white roses. He was there to say goodbye, feeling the heavy burden of leaving the only town he’d ever known. Kneeling beside the tombstone, he whispered, “I’m sorry, Grandpa… Dad lost everything to gambling.
We’re moving away, and now I’ll be stuck as a mechanic instead of building airplanes like we always dreamed.”
As Liam brushed the moss off the tombstone, he noticed something odd—coordinates were etched into the marble. They reminded him of the treasure hunts he used to have with his Grandpa. “Could this be one last message from Grandpa?” he wondered.
Quickly, he typed the coordinates into his phone and felt his heart race when they led him to a cloakroom at the local railway station.
He sprinted to the station and asked about a locker under the name R. Hudson. The receptionist told him that locker 417 hadn’t been touched for over a year. Excited, Liam struggled with the combination lock. Then, the distant sound of an airplane made him remember.
He entered 1717—the model number of the first toy plane he and his Grandpa had built together—and the locker creaked open.
Inside, Liam discovered bundles of cash and an old brown diary. The first page took his breath away: “Dear Liam, if you’re reading this, you haven’t forgotten me, and I’m so proud of you. This money is for your dream of becoming a flight engineer. But before you decide what to do with it, you need to know about your father…”
The diary revealed a shocking truth: years ago, Liam’s father, David, had stolen half of Grandpa’s life savings out of greed, ruining Liam’s future. But Grandpa hadn’t given up. Despite his illness, he worked hard to save enough money to give Liam a chance. He even had the coordinates engraved on his tombstone, knowing Liam would find them when the time was right.
Holding the diary, Liam’s tears mixed with newfound determination. When he got home, his father, drunk and bitter, shouted at him for being a burden. But Liam was resolute. He offered his father a deal—money to save their home, but only if David quit gambling. David eagerly accepted, but Liam was wary. Later that night, David called, furious. “The money’s fake!” he yelled.
Liam stood across from the bank, watching his father emerge from beneath the flashing lights of the casino. “You made your choice, Dad,” he said quietly to himself, walking away with the real money still safely in his backpack.
An hour later, Liam stood in front of a new sign—Aviation Academy. He wiped his tears and whispered, “I won’t let you down, Grandpa,” before stepping onto the campus to chase his dream.