Leonardo had everything planned out. He would make history and marry his mother, Veneta. It would be the best thing to ever happen to him. But unbeknownst to everyone, this man was hiding a terrible secret, and what eventually happened on the wedding day is unbelievable.
Miguel and Juanita were childhood friends, and they lived with their parents in a small mining town. “You’re so beautiful, and I’m going to marry you someday,” the 10-year-old Miguel said. He also told Veneta that he would build her a castle someday. “How?” she asked innocently. “I don’t know, but I will,” Miguel said. Then he grabbed her hands, and they played hide and seek in a garden close by. And there you have it. That’s how this love story began.
When Miguel turned 28, he asked Veneta to marry him, and they had a lavish wedding party. By this time, Miguel, just like his father, was also working in the mining company, and he and his wife moved into an accommodation provided by the company. It was modest and beautiful. The mining job was quite strenuous, and Miguel, unlike his father, wasn’t quite strong and often complained of body pains. However, this didn’t stop him from working because he had to provide for his family.
Five years later, Miguel and his colleagues were working when a landslide occurred. Only a few survived the incident, and luckily, Miguel was among them. When this happened, Veneta advised her husband to quit his job and start something else. Although he didn’t quit, he bought a piece of land and planned to go into horticulture later. So, for the time being, he abandoned the piece of land and continued with his job. Little did he know, this land would eventually pave the way for his dreams and give his family the kind of life they wanted.
Seven years later, the couple now had three kids: Princess, Jonathan, and Leonardo, the last born. And it was this boy that took his mother to the altar for a shocking reason. Miguel continued working at the mining company while Veneta looked after the kids. Unfortunately, one evening, Miguel was rushed home after sustaining an injury to his leg.
The accident left him bedridden for a couple of weeks, and after he recovered, his company asked them to take a couple of months off work to rest. Soon enough, Miguel got tired of staying at home. So, one day, he got a mower, went to the land he bought, and started plowing the field. Three days later, while working on the land, Miguel spotted something that made him freeze.
It was a little rock, and it had a lighter color compared to all the other rocks he had ever seen. So, Miguel suspected there was gold in the land. He started digging, and it didn’t take long before he found a tiny golden nugget. Filled with excitement, Miguel rushed home and broke the news to his wife, and she was overjoyed. Over the next couple of months, they found more golden nuggets worth a fortune. The family could now live comfortably, even without working a single day. Miguel finally built the castle he promised Veneta when they were younger, and the family moved in.
Several decades later, Miguel found another golden nugget, and this one was as big as the size of a baseball. He hid it somewhere and disclosed the location to his wife. One day, while the couple was talking about the golden nugget, Leonardo eavesdropped on the conversation. Later that evening, he asked his parents where they hid the treasure, but they told him that they would let him and his siblings know at the right time. “Okay, that’s fine. I trust you both,” Leonardo said. But instead, he secretly began searching for the gold, but all his efforts were in vain.
Years later, Miguel and his wife, now empty nesters, still enjoyed each other’s presence, and they had lots of fun. Their love for each other grew daily. Unfortunately, when Miguel turned 70, he fell sick. “I want you to take good care of the kids. I don’t think I will be here for long anymore,” Miguel told his wife a few months after falling sick. But she told him not to say such things. Sadly, that night, Miguel passed away in his wife’s arms. Their children, now grown-ups, flew back home, and they gave their father a befitting burial. Two weeks later, the kids, except Leonardo, traveled back to their various destinations.
Now that Miguel was gone, Leonardo asked his mother about the whereabouts of the golden nugget, but she told him it wasn’t yet time to reveal the secret. That day, he got so angry, yelled at his mom, and slammed the door against her. Miguel’s death took a negative toll on Veneta. She stayed up all night, reminiscing on the past. Sometimes, she even got carried away and conversed with him as if he was sitting just right beside her. She became depressed and started losing weight.
During these times, Leonardo paid no attention to his sick mother. Instead, he spent the whole day searching the whole house and yard for the golden nugget. Soon enough, Veneta started showing signs of dementia. She would pace around the house while speaking to herself. She also forgot Leonardo’s name, and on different occasions, she sometimes forgot that he was her son. Leonardo was scared that his mother would forget where the golden nugget was hidden, but each time he asked her about it, she would say, “I know where it is, but I can’t tell you yet.”
Leonardo didn’t take Veneta to the hospital. Instead, he kept her in the house, hoping she would divulge the secret to him. Then one day, something devastating happened. That day, Leonardo heard his mother laughing, and he eavesdropped on her. It seemed she was talking to someone, but from his hiding place, he didn’t see a phone with her.
What was even more surprising was that she kept saying, “Thank you, Miguel. I can’t wait to see you. I miss you too.” As soon as she was done, Leonardo left his hiding place and rushed into his mom’s room. He was so shocked to find her smiling radiantly. “Why are you so happy?” he said. “Guess what? Your father will be back in three days. He went to Paris to get my wedding dress. I am getting married to him in three days,” Veneta screamed excitedly. She looked so happy. Leonardo didn’t convince his mother that she was hallucinating. Instead, he came up with a vile plan.
On the third day, Leonardo dressed like his father. He glued some beards on his jaw and wore his father’s hat. Then he went to Veneta’s room. As soon as the poor woman saw him, she jumped to her feet. “Oh my love, you’re back! Do you have the wedding gown?” Veneta said. “Of course, I will do anything for you,” Leonardo said. At that moment, he went down on his knees and asked his mother to marry him, and she screamed yes. Afterward, he gave her the wedding gown. Juanita tried it on, and she looked like a queen in it.
That evening, Leonardo rushed to the church to make wedding arrangements with the priest. He told the clergyman that his mom always wanted to have a second wedding with his father in their old age. But now that he was no more, he would like to make his mother’s wish come true. Leonardo also told the priest that his mom was mentally stressed lately, and he thinks that the wedding would heal her mind. The priest agreed and thanked Leonardo for being a selfless son.
Leonardo knew his mother would be thrilled on the wedding day. So he planned to ask her about the golden nugget in the church while they were taking the wedding vows. Finally, it was the wedding day. Veneta’s face was beautiful, as though the rays of paradise were there. Leonardo also dazzled in his tuxedo, but the look on his face was strange, wild, and vain. Under the shadow of his head, his face gleamed with greed. He was this close to what he had been planning, and nothing or no one would stand in his way and jeopardize his plans.
Everything was going fine until it was time to exchange the wedding rings. Just then, Veneta asked Leonardo to take his hat off. She didn’t suspect anything. It was just an innocent request. Leonardo knew it would look suspicious if he turned down Veneta’s request, so he did as she pleased, hoping she wouldn’t recognize him. How wrong he was. As soon as Leonardo took off his head, Veneta let out her scream. She recognized her son right away. The shock made her remember everything. She remembered that her husband was dead. She couldn’t believe her son would go to such lengths because of the gold nugget. She was devastated and ran out of the church.
Leonardo felt so embarrassed by his actions. He also took to his heels, and that was the last time anyone ever saw him. Veneta, now in her right mind, continued visiting her husband’s grave. She also made a will and left nothing for Leonardo. As it turned out, the couple was going to give Leonardo 50% of their fortune, but because of his covetousness, he got nothing. Indeed, the twin killers of success are impatience and greed.
