Ken and Audrey had spent all their lives in their serene and quiet neighborhood of Conningham. They had great relationships with all their neighbours, often calling each other for a Sunday brunch or Thanksgiving dinner.
It wasn't until the passing of Ken and Audrey, a surprising detail took everyone by the storm. Suddenly, everyone realized that the couple was different from what they seemed to be. Finally, after all these years, the dark secrets they've been hiding were revealed.
Ken and Audrey
Ken and Audrey started living in Conningham back in the 50s. It was a nice time to be alive - with the sweep of modernity and yet a rustic traditional way of life, dominating the scene. They met each other one evening while browsing books at the bookstore.
It was love at first sight and both of them felt instant attraction the moment they saw each other. Gathering a lot of courage, Ken asked Audrey her address and then began the process of exchanging long letters. It was as if good things were finally coming to fruition, until one fateful day...
A Surprise
The romance went for 6 months combined with dates to the café. Ken was sure that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Audrey. Without any further delay, Ken proposed to Audrey, and she said yes in an instant.
Audrey was equally excited to start married life with Ken. Soon after the proposal, the couple began planning their wedding. Only if she knew that life wasn't going to be all roses and petals!
The Wedding Day
Ken and Audrey did not want to have a very grand wedding. They invited only their close friends and family and had a great time celebrating their wedding occasion with them.
There was a lot of dancing and merry-making. The wedding party went till 4 in the morning and all the attendees went back home exhausted, including the newlywed couple. It was a happy day for the couple and their families. Two people were starting on a journey that was supposed to last forever.
Life After The Wedding
Turns out, it was. Ken and Audrey had a very happy married life and they loved each other immensely. Every day after coming back from work they made sure they ate dinner together and sat on the porch in the evening sipping tea together.
On weekends and holidays, they visited their friends and took vacations. They led a happy satisfying life until life took a drastic turn.
Couldn't Have Kids
One morning, the couple were having their usual morning tea when they received a disturbing piece of information ... A few years after the marriage, both Ken and Audrey wanted to have children and hear constant laughter in their household.
After a lot of conversation and planning, they began trying to conceive but to their disappointment even after repeated trials Audrey couldn’t get pregnant. When they visited the hospital, the doctor told them they would never be able to become parents.
Making Their Peace
When Ken and Audrey first received this piece of information, they were utterly shocked and felt as if their life had come to an abrupt halt. They took a few months to process the information and make their peace with it but eventually they could move forward.
They figured that both of them are enough for each other and do not necessarily need kids to complete their life. They focused their energies on each other and other things which made them happy like movies, concerts, friends, camping, volunteering work, etc.
Travelling and Other Hobbies
A few months after the couple received the disturbing piece of information, Ken left his job and started a business of his own to be able to spend more time with Audrey. This did not only allow the couple to spend quality time with each other, but they also got time to travel around the world.
Together Ken and Audrey traveled to more than 10 countries and gained the experience of a lifetime in each country. They also made new friends wherever they wanted and continued to stay in touch with them even after their return.
An Active Role
Apart from traveling, when Ken and Audrey were home, they actively participated in all the activities around the town. It rarely happened that the couple did not show up at a community event.
The couple was also known for their helpful nature, if anyone needed any kind of help, they did not hesitate before asking Ken and Audrey for help. The couple also bonded well with all the kids of the town.
House Parties
The couple lived in a modest house that was always brimming full of visitors. Their friends liked the warm and welcoming atmosphere of their life.
The kind and compassionate nature of the couple made everyone happy. They hosted house parties frequently which allowed Audrey to experiment with a different kind of cooking.
Sad Moments
Although Ken and Audrey were satisfied with their lives and were happy sometimes Audrey did miss having children around. Even Ken felt the absence of a kid, but he never voiced his grief, feeling Audrey would then find it difficult to cope.
However, Ken sometimes found Audrey waking up in the middle of the night and shedding light tears sitting in the living room browsing through family pictures. Even the family pictures felt incomplete without young children in them.
An Idea
Seeing Audrey crying in the middle of the night broke Ken’s heart into a million pieces. He felt very helpless and was constantly thinking of ways to make things better for Audrey. Various options like adoption came into his mind but he felt adoption had difficulties of its own.
He wondered how they can only adopt one kid when numerous orphan kids need help. He found adoption to be a very emotionally challenging process, hence he came up with another idea.
To a School?
A few days later, one afternoon he asked Audrey to join him for a ride. She had numerous questions as to where they were going and why.
Ken kept her in suspense, continued driving, only to stop in front of the public school. Audrey was surprised when he stopped the car and looked at him questioningly.
Signing Up As A Volunteer
After the couple got down from the car, Ken walked her inside and took her to the principal’s office. He had already had a word with the principal before bringing Audrey and he had signed up Audrey as a volunteer at the school.
She could spend 10-15 hours each week at the school, interact with kids and help them around the school.
A New Start
At first, Audrey was very surprised as to why Ken would sign her up as a volunteer without asking her first. But then Ken took her for a round around the school, she saw numerous kids prancing around and she understood instantly, Ken just wanted her to spend time around kids and feel better.
Audrey thought she was very lucky to have found Ken in her life. She thanked Ken and pulled him into a tight hug.
Spending Some Good Time
Soon Audrey began volunteering at the school and enjoyed her time there. She spent more than 15 hours at the school each week and all the kids loved her.
The kids started depending on her for a lot of things and came running to her each time they wanted help. Ken could see the change in Audrey and found her to be happier and more relaxed.
Growing Old Together
Growing old is inevitable and the same happened with Ken and Audrey. They had been married for more than 60 years until the tragedy happened.
One unfortunate day, Ken was sitting on the porch waiting for Audrey to return from school while sipping coffee and he suffered a heart attack. Audrey came back to a passed-out Ken on the porch, she rushed him to the hospital, but it was too late.
Friends and Family Come to the Rescue
Both Audrey and Ken knew this day would come, one of them will leave the other. The chances of them going together were very rare.
Even after being mentally prepared, Audrey was heartbroken and missed Ken terribly. Friends and family showed up to help her which allowed Audrey to stay strong throughout the funeral process.
Resuming
Audrey took a week off school to grieve over Ken’s death but tried resuming her life back to normal as soon as possible. She knew Ken wouldn't approve if Audrey stopped living her life just because she missed him terribly.
She continued going to school and being the same kind of sympathetic person she was. Kids still came running to her, both when they wanted to share their problems with her or happiness with her.
3 Years Later
It was three years later that Audrey also passed away silently in her sleep. She outlived Ken by three years and then went on to join him in the grave. Audrey was 91 when she passed, and it was not only her family who was sad when she passed but the whole village.
Her funeral was jam-packed with people; her family did not recognize more than half of the people, but they were good friends with Audrey. All the kids from the school also came to say goodbye to Audrey.
Unexpected Things Begin Happening
A few days after Audrey’s passing, some very unexpected things started happening around the town. All the schools, charities, nonprofit organizations, homeless shelters, and social institutions around the town started receiving large sums of donations.
The donations were anonymous and nobody could guess where the money was coming from. This anonymous rich benefactor became a huge mystery in the town.
None Other Than Audrey
All the donations these different organizations were getting were coming from the Audrey Mosey fund. The locals of the town were initially shocked and had no idea who was the founder of this brilliant foundation.
Then it was revealed the founder was none other than Audrey, the same Audrey who had lived with her husband Ken in a modest house and car.
The Revelations
Through the lifestyle the couple maintained nobody could have guessed they were wealthy. The couple owned a lot of real estate in Barcelona and other parts of England.
The kind of real estate varied from beach houses to luxury holiday villas. But instead of living a life of luxury, the couple chose to live a small modest life and put the money to good use for those who need it.
Executor Named Pauline
The only person who knew about this was Audrey’s executor named Pauline. No friends of Audrey and Ken knew about their wealth.
When a lot of gossip started going around the town regarding the huge donations, Pauline stepped up and clarified who was behind this great doing. A local newspaper also covered Audrey and Ken’s great story and their generous contribution to society.
A Big Heart
Pauline later mentioned, when the couple drafted their will, he was not surprised at all when they were giving away all their money to charities and social institutions. The couple had a big heart and even when they were alive, they secretly helped those in need.
They were against the idea of spending money on unnecessary expensive things and believed in putting it to good use. Their donations helped many for years to come.
When Did The Couple Decide This?
Pauline later also revealed that the couple decided this at a young age when they learned they wouldn't be able to have kids. They thought they should help those who are already alive rather than wasting their money on trinkets.
Hence, the large sum of money in Audrey’s account and the money she acquired from Ken’s account after his death was all donated. This was the couple’s only wish.