“Thank you… thank you for helping me,” Rhonda said softly. “My baby… is he okay, right?”
“She’s fine,” Mrs. Bamford reassured her. “Are you new in town? I noticed you had some luggage.”
Rhonda couldn’t hold back her tears. She burst into tears and told Mrs. Bamford how she’d ended up there. “I don’t want to live here anymore,” Rhonda sobbed. “I just want to get out of Texas. But I’m not sure I can give my baby a good life.”
Mrs. Bamford felt compassion for Rhonda, not only because she was a homeless mother having to decide whether to raise her son, but also because Rhonda reminded her of her own daughter.
“Don’t say that, darling,” Mrs. Bamford consoled her. “I once had a daughter your age. When we found out she was pregnant, we went berserk and kicked her out of the house.
My husband owns an airline, and we were wealthy enough to support our daughter. But we were against her pregnancy at such a young age. I wanted to help her. She took her own life because she couldn’t take it anymore. I don’t want anyone else to go through something like this! It’s a terrible feeling.”
“I’m so sorry,” Rhonda said, wiping away tears.
“I feel sorry for her too,” Mrs. Bamford added. “But it’s too late now. Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I can book you a ticket. Let’s make sure the baby has a good life in the new home.”
“Oh no!” Rhonda exclaimed. “You’ve already done so much for me.” “I’m afraid I can’t repay you.”
“Please,” Mrs. Bamford begged. “If I help you, it’s as if I’m helping my daughter. And that will help me overcome my guilt.”
Rhonda couldn’t refuse Mrs. Bamford. She accepted the ticket and a few days later she was flying business class from Australia to JFK, ready to start a new life.
But as she sat comfortably on the plane with her baby in her arms, she constantly worried that she wouldn’t be able to provide him with a decent life.
“What if I can’t take care of my son?” “What if he ends up on the street with me?” These thoughts tormented Rhonda to the point that she didn’t notice that the flight was over and that the pilot had announced arrival at JFK.
Rhonda was terrified at the thought of finding herself alone in an unfamiliar city with a newborn baby and no one to care for him. Her thoughts began to whirl, her heart pounding, and she worried about what lay ahead for her and her son.
It was then that she made a painful decision. She decided to leave the child on the plane, hoping that someone would take him in and offer him a better life.
She waited until the people sitting next to her had gotten off, and when she saw no one was looking, she left her son in his seat with a note she’d scribbled earlier and quickly got out. She barely restrained herself from turning around and picking up the child, but decided it was the best thing to do.
When one of the flight attendants, Lincy, approached the seat after the passengers had disembarked, she was surprised to find it… There was a baby inside. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the little boy as she read the note Rhonda had left him.
I’m a poor mother who couldn’t take care of her son. Don’t bother looking for me if you find this note. I could never have given him a good life. I hope you’ll accept him and love him as if he were your own. I’d be so happy if you named him Matthew. Matthew Harris. That’s the name I chose for him.
