This Old Man Never Missed a Day by the Sea—But One Morning, His Chair Was Empty

Two brothers often saw an old man sitting by the sea every day on the same chair. One day, they felt worried when they noticed the chair was empty and decided to find out why.

Adam, 8, and Peter, 10, went to the beach with their mom, Alice, every day. They loved walking along the shore, feeling the cool sea breeze.

Each day, they noticed an old man sitting quietly on a chair, staring at the waves. “Mom, is that man okay?” Adam asked one day.

“He is, sweetheart. He just likes being alone. People have tried talking to him, but he always avoids them. Let’s not bother him,” Alice replied.

The brothers couldn’t stop thinking about the old man. They were curious why he sat on the same chair every day without moving.

One day, they came up with a plan to approach him. While playing catch, they threw their frisbee near him on purpose so they could go closer. When they ran up and apologized, the old man said, “You threw it here on purpose. I know you did… You,” he said, pointing at Adam, “are great at throwing. And you,” he smiled, pointing at Peter, “are great at catching. So I know it wasn’t an accident.”

The brothers were surprised. They didn’t realize the old man had been watching them, too.

Even though their mom said he never spoke to anyone, the old man chatted with the boys for a long time. After they introduced themselves, Peter asked what they had always wondered: “Sir, why do you sit here every day and watch the sea?”

“Well, I’m waiting for my brother. I’ve been waiting here for 10 years,” he replied. Adam and Peter looked at each other, confused.

“We were in the army together, but we got separated and sent to different places. It happened a long time ago. The last time we saw each other, we promised to meet here, where we used to walk with our mother,” the old man explained.

“You wait for your brother every day?” Adam asked. “How do you know he’s still coming?” The old man smiled gently.

“I don’t know if he’s coming. I used to come here years ago, but then I moved away for work. Now that I’m back, I’ve been coming every day for the past 10 years. They gave me his army dog tag, but he was never found. He’s still missing,” he said, pulling the dog tag out of his pocket.

Adam and Peter sat quietly, feeling sad for the old man. He patted their heads and said, “That’s why you must always take care of each other. There’s nothing stronger than brotherly love.”

The old man introduced himself as Walter. The boys liked him so much that they began visiting him every day, bringing sandwiches and drinks. They spent their afternoons sharing stories and listening to him.

One day, Walter and the boys were surprised to see each other walking home in the same direction. “We live close by!” Peter exclaimed. Walter smiled.

“Yes, we do, sweet boy,” Walter said, waving as he went into his house.

The boys felt a strong bond with Walter after spending so much time with him. They decided to share his story on social media, hoping it might help find his brother.

A few days later, they rushed to the beach to tell Walter what they had done. But when they arrived, he wasn’t there. “He’s here every single day! Where is he?” Adam asked his mom.

“This isn’t right. Something must have happened. We should go to his house,” Peter said. Their mom agreed to take them there.

They knocked on Walter’s door, and after a moment, he opened it. The boys sighed in relief. “Walter! Why didn’t you come to the beach today? Did you give up?” Adam asked. Walter smiled, and behind him stood a man who looked just like him.

The boys were shocked when the man suddenly said, “IT’S THEM! THESE BOYS POSTED ON THE INTERNET! I RECOGNIZED THEM IMMEDIATELY!”

Walter’s brother, James, had found him thanks to the post Adam and Peter made. Walter hugged the boys and said, “Thank you for helping me find my brother after forty-four long years.”

James explained that he had been injured in the war and lost his memory. He was sent back to the U.S. and was diagnosed with amnesia caused by the trauma of battle.

“I was told my memory might come back slowly or all at once. Over the years, I started remembering small things, like my name and that I lived in California, but nothing clear enough to lead me home,” James explained.

“One day, I was browsing the internet and saw a post by these two kind boys. It had a photo of you, Walter, and I suddenly remembered our brotherhood. I knew we were brothers. I came here as fast as I could,” James said.

Walter and James both took out their army dog tags and handed one each to Adam and Peter. “We don’t need these anymore. Because of you, we found each other again. These are for you now. Let them remind you to always take care of each other,” Walter said.

Since they lived nearby, Adam and Peter often visited Walter and James, who had moved in together, and they became like family.