Elderly Man Always Bought Two Movie Tickets for Himself, So One Day I Decided to Find Out Why – Story of the Day
I saw an old man purchase two tickets every Monday, but he always sat by himself. I purchased a seat next to him since I was curious to find out his secret. I had no idea that our lives would soon intersect in ways I could never have predicted when he began telling me his story.
For me, working at the Old City Cinema meant more than just a job. It was a place where the world’s troubles may be temporarily forgotten by the buzz of the projector. The air smelled of buttered popcorn, and the fading old posters told tales of a glorious period I could only dream about.
Edward showed up every Monday morning, his arrival as constant as the dawn. He wasn’t one of those regulars who hurried in and fumbled for their tickets or cash.
With a tall, slender body and a well-buttoned gray coat, Edward exuded serene majesty. He walked to the counter, his silver hair, carefully combed back, catching the light. He made the same request every time.
“Two tickets for the morning movie.”
But he always arrived by himself.
I gave him the tickets, and his fingers, chilled from the December cold, touched mine. Despite my thoughts racing with unanswered questions, I managed to smile politely.
Why two tickets? For whom are they intended?
“Two tickets once more?” As she rung up another customer, Sarah smirked and taunted me from behind. Perhaps it’s for a love that has been gone. You know, like an old-fashioned romance?
Another coworker, Steve, added, snickering, “Or maybe a ghost.” “He’s most likely married to one.”
I didn’t chuckle. Their jokes felt improper because of something about Edward.
I considered asking him, even practicing a few phrases in my mind, but each time the time arrived, I lost my courage. It wasn’t my place, after all.
Monday the next week was different. I had the day off, and as I lay in bed and gazed at the frost forming on the window’s edges, a thought started to take shape.
What happens if I join him? Spying is not what it is. Curiosity, that is. After all, it’s almost Christmas, a time of wonder.
The holiday lights placed around the street seemed to gleam brighter in the crisp, fresh morning air.
When I walked into the darkened cinema, Edward was already sitting, his body silhouetted against the gentle illumination of the screen. His stance was as upright and focused as ever, as if he were deep in meditation. A small smile appeared on his lips as his eyes shifted in my direction.
He said, “You’re not working today.”
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I took the seat beside him. “I believed you might require a business. I’ve seen you around here a lot.
He laughed quietly, yet there was a hint of melancholy in the sound. “Movies are not the point.”
“So what is it?” I couldn’t help but sound curious as I asked.
With his hands folded neatly on his lap, Edward reclined in his chair. He appeared uncertain for a second, as if he wasn’t sure if he should trust me with what he was going to say.
Then he said something.
“There was a woman who worked here years ago,” he said, keeping his eyes on the TV. Evelyn was her name.
I kept quiet because I knew this was not a story to be rushed.
He went on, a small smile pulling at his lips, “She was beautiful.” “In a way that lingers, not in a way that draws attention. Like a tune, it’s impossible to forget. She had been employed here. Our story started when we first met here.
As he spoke, I imagined the busy movie theater, the flickering projector that cast shadows on her face, and their private chats in between screenings.
“On her day off, I invited her to a morning show,” Edward recalled. “She concurred.”
His voice trailed off a little as he paused. “But she never showed up.”
“What took place?” I leaned closer and whispered.
With a darker tone, he stated, “I discovered later that she had been fired.” “The manager ordered me not to return and refused to give me her contact details. I couldn’t figure out why. She simply vanished.
Edward let out a breath and looked down at the vacant seat next to him. I made an effort to move on. After getting married, I led a calm life. However, I started returning here after my wife went away, hoping—just hoping—I dunno.
I took a deep breath. “Your life’s love was her.”
She was. And she remains so.
“What aspects of her do you recall?” I inquired.
“Just her name,” Edward acknowledged. “Evelyn.”
“I will assist you in locating her.”
I realized what I had pledged at that very moment. Evelyn had been employed at the movie theater, but my father was the manager and the one who had let her go. A man who hardly even recognized me.
It seemed like I was preparing for a fight I wasn’t sure I could win as I got ready to confront my father. I smoothed my hair back into a tidy ponytail and adjusted the conservative jacket I had selected. Every little detail counted.
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Thomas, my father, valued professionalism and order, qualities he upheld and used to evaluate others.
With his hat in hand, Edward waited calmly by the door, appearing both calm and nervous. “Are you certain he will speak with us?”
“No,” I said as I put on my coat. “But we must make an effort.”
Perhaps in an attempt to relax, I found myself opening up to Edward on the way to the movie theater office.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and explained, “My mom had Alzheimer’s.” It began when she was expecting me. She had a… erratic memory. On certain days, she would recognize me precisely. On other days, she would treat me as though I were a complete stranger.
Edward gave a serious nod. “You must have found that difficult.”
“It was,” I said. Particularly since my father, Thomas, as I call him, chose to place her in a care facility. He simply stopped going to see her over time, and I can see why. And I was left to handle everything once my grandmother went away. He provided financial assistance, but he was… not there. That’s how he’s best described. Far away. Always aloof.
Although Edward remained silent, his presence was reassuring. I paused before entering Thomas’s office door when we arrived at the movie theater.
“Hello, Dad. “This is Edward, my friend,” I stumbled.
“Continue.” His expression remained the same.
“I have a question for you regarding a former employee. Evelyn is a woman.
After a few moment of inaction, he reclined back in his chair. “I don’t talk about former workers.”
I insisted, “You must make an exception.” For decades, Edward has been looking for her. We are entitled to answers.
Thomas narrowed his eyes as he looked at Edward. “I owe him nothing at all. or even you, for that.
It was Edward’s first words. “I cherished her.” To me, she was everything.
Thomas’s mouth clenched. “Evelyn wasn’t her name.”
“What?” I blinked.
With his remarks piercing the atmosphere, he acknowledged, “She called herself Evelyn, but her real name was Margaret.” “Your mom. He pointed to Edward and said, “She made up that name because she was having an affair with him and thought I wouldn’t find out.”
There was silence in the room.
Edward’s face went white. “Margaret?”
“When I found out, she was pregnant,” Thomas added sourly. “With you, as it happened.” For the first time, his icy demeanor wavered as he glanced at me. I believed that if I cut her off from him, she would become dependent on me. However, it didn’t. Additionally, when were you born?
Thomas let out a deep sigh. “I was aware that I wasn’t your dad.”
I felt waves of astonishment rush over me as my mind reeled. “You were aware all along?”
“I took care of her,” he added, avoiding eye contact. “For you. However, I was unable to stay.
The silence was broken by Edward’s voice. “Is Margaret Evelyn?”
“To me, she was Margaret,” Thomas said sternly. She obviously wanted to be someone else with you, though.
Edward’s hands were shaking as he dropped into a chair. She didn’t tell me. I… I didn’t know.
Between them, my heart thumping, I glanced. Thomas wasn’t even my dad.
“I believe we should go see her,” I said. Together. I gave Edward a quick glance before turning to face Thomas and maintaining eye contact. “All three of us. If there’s ever a chance to make amends, it’s now, as Christmas is a season for forgiveness.
I briefly believed Thomas would laugh or reject the notion completely. To my astonishment, though, he paused, his hard face melting. He stood silently, nodded, and reached for his overcoat.
With a rough voice, he slipped his arms under the coat and murmured, “Let’s do this.”
Silently, we drove to the care facility. With his hands clenched in his lap, Edward sat next to me. Thomas sat rigidly in the back seat, his eyes fixed on the window.
The holiday wreath on the facility’s door looked strangely out of place against the surroundings when we first arrived.
Mom was sitting by the lounge window as usual, her slender frame wrapped in a warm cardigan. She appeared to be immersed in a distant world as she gazed out the window. Even as we got closer, her hands remained still on her lap.
I softly called, “Mom,” but there was no response.
Slowly and deliberately, Edward took a step forward. He gave her a look.
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“Evelyn.”
The transformation happened instantly. Her eyes narrowed in recognition as she turned her head to face him. She felt as though a light had been turned on inside of her. She got to her feet slowly.
“Edward?” she said softly.
He gave a nod. “I’m Evelyn. It’s me.
She stepped forward shakily, tears welling in her eyes. “You’re present.”
With sparkling eyes, he answered, “I never stopped waiting.”
As I watched them, feelings I couldn’t quite put into words filled my heart. Though it was also my moment, it was theirs.
Thomas was a few paces behind me, his hands in his pockets, when I turned to face him. There was something almost fragile in place of his customary sternness.
I whispered, “You made the right decision by coming here.”
He nodded slightly but remained silent. I noticed something that appeared to be regret for the first time when his eyes lingered on Mom and Edward.
Outside, the snow started to fall softly, shrouding the entire landscape in a serene silence.
I broke the silence by saying, “Let’s not end it here.” “Christmas is here. Let’s go see a holiday movie and have some hot cocoa. Together.
Edward’s eyes brightened. Thomas paused.
He answered sternly, but in a gentler voice than I had ever heard, “That sounds… nice.”
Four lives came together that day in ways that none of us could have predicted. We entered a narrative together that had taken years to discover its resolution—and its fresh start.
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