As usual Philip went out for his evening walk in the park, after a while he was tired and wanted to take a break. He went to the nearby bench the moment he was about to sit there he saw a small gift box was left on the bench. He looked around expecting someone to return for it.
Then he decided to check it out by himself, he picked it up but felt hesitant so he checked nearby paths but there was no one in the park it was almost empty. The gift box was wrapped in brown coloured paper with a red ribbon on the top of it, he also found a handwritten tag:
"To Dad: Happy Birthday. Love, Miley."
No one was nearby, he waited for an hour so that someone would show up but no one came. So, he took it home.
The next morning, he brought the gift box to the park's lost-and-found office. The attendant insured him that someone will surely come and pick it up. Philip would go there everyday and inquire about it. Two weeks passed, but no one came and the gift remained lost. He couldn't abandon the gift box as he thought it was precious for someone named "Miley." He wanted to know what was the reason for leaving it behind, he couldn't stop thinking about it because it was a mystery to him.
He questioned himself, "Who was she? Why she never came back for her father's birthday present? Why would someone leave it in the park?"
The next day, he went out for a walk again, there the attendant was already looking for him and handed him an usual newspaper. Philip never read newspaper as he didn't like reading but when the attendant said, "Maybe this is the clue you were looking for," He decided to read it.
Philip flipped the news paper and on the back of the page was a small article about an accident. There was written, "A fifteen years old girl named Miley had been hospitalized after being struck by a car while crossing a road near the "Green View Park." He checked the date and time it was the same evening when he found the gift left behind, everything matched.
Philip decided to contact the hospital to know Miley's state and he found that she had almost recovered, through the help of the attendant he eventually reached her mother's contact.
Few days passed, they met at a restaurant, Philip came with the gift box which belonged to Miley.
It did not take long enough for Miley to recognized the gift box, because she customized it personally. She said, "Mom look! That's my gift box!"
Her mother smiled sadly and said, "After the incident I have searched for it everywhere, Miley wanted me to take care of it."
"How did you lost it?" Philip asked Miley.
Miley with sad expressions replied, "I was planning to surprise my dad. I always meet there after work on his birthday. I left the gift box on bench, because dad was being late so I crossed the road to buy an ice cream then the accident happened."
Philip gently puts the gift box in her hand, "It's okay, you can give it to him now."
Miley remained silent.
In a while her mother said, "She can't."
Philip looked confused.
Miley said, "My dad passed away because of a heart attack that afternoon."
her mother explained the details. "We didn't know until we were at the hospital that is why he was being late."
Philip couldn't figure out how he should respond. The mystery was finally solved but this was not something he expected. He could realize that why nobody had come back for it.
Tears filled Miley's eyes, smiled and said, "Do you know what's inside the box? It's a watch, he never wore one so I wanted to get him a watch. I had bought it with my pocket money. But he will never get to see it ever again."
Philip gently patted her head and said, "Hey, don't cry. Your dad wouldn't want to see you hurting like this."
The gift box remained unclaimed and lost. Not because it was forgotten. But because it did not belong to anyone anymore.
Philip finally understood that some items are left behind accidentally. Others are left behind by life itself and sometimes the saddest mysteries are the ones that have no crime, no villain, no happy ending only a gift waiting for someone who will never arrive.
Credits:
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And edited with canva.
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