Hang a Ribbon

Tom twisted and turned as he remained in his train seat. The man next to him noticed his worried look on his face.

"What's the matter son?"

Tom did and didn't want to tell at the same time. He knew he wanted too, he needed to have somebody, just anybody, even a total stranger to tell this to.

"Well," He stammered, "You see sir, I just got out of prison, and well, I messed up my life pretty bad, I have no where to go, but one place, my old home. My parents are very old now, and i'm not sure they want me back, as I ruined them pretty bad also."

There was a pause.

"I would have invited them to come see me in jail, as i've been their for a few years. But I didn't want them to see my dinky little cell, and I didn't want them to be embarrassed that their son was a jailbird. On the last week of my sentence, I wrote them a letter. Sir, we live near the tracks of the railroad. And there is this old oak tree, that we have. It hangs somewhat into the path of the train. I asked my mother if I could come back in that letter. I asked her to tie one ribbon, just one ribbon to the tree that hangs over the railroad."

"Ah, I see," The man said.

"Well yes, i'm very anxious to see the tree. I don't blame her for not putting a ribbon on the tree, after all they did, and what I did back. If there is no ribbon, well then...I'll be homeless."

There was an awkward silence.

"I just wanted to ask you, to look at the tree for me, you'll recognize the tree, its very big and..."

"I will son, I will"

The engineer aboard the train announced they were coming to the next stop. Tom's town...

"Well is there a ribbon?" Tom asked anxiously.

"Son, you'd better look up..."

As Tom looked up, he could see thousands of ribbons. all over the tree. You wouldn't even know it was a tree. Red ribbons, white, blue, black, purple, green, orange, every color you can think of.

"I'm going home sir." Tom stood up happily, and before he left. He stopped.

"Sir, thank you so very much. Here is some things in return..."

Tom dropped $300 in the mans lap. He then walked off the train...