Teen Saves Elderly Man from Fire—One Day Later, He Brings Lawyers to His House…
William Drake was only 16 years old when he lived one of the most terrifying experiences of his life. The young student who lived in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city of Detroit, Ohio, proved to everyone that the humility and bravery of one person can completely change people’s lives and in turn change the course of history and the way others understand the world and how it works. Young William Drake lived a humble and quiet life with his mother in a small house on the outskirts of Detroit. Will had always been acutely aware of his family’s financial problems and the limitations this would cause him in life. Without a father or close relatives to rely on, he and his mother Laura had to face an extremely cruel reality, especially for those whose skin color is different from the rest, forcing them to live unfairly marginalized and in fear of the authorities. Even so, the fact of having little money and limited resources to live never conditioned the boy’s way of being nor his desire to live and help others as much as he could. For his neighbors and friends, Will was a sort of guardian angel to whom they could always turn to when they had problems or needed help with simple day-to-day tasks. Shopping, walking the dogs, going to buy their medicines, and even mowing their lawns and making sure their garden didn’t go bad—these were some of the many things Will did for his neighbors without asking for anything in return. Everyone loved him and he was deeply grateful to live surrounded by such a close-knit and supportive community. But what the teenager could not have imagined was how fate was going to restore his friendliness with his neighbors, changing his life completely in a matter of hours.
As he did every day, Will got up at 7:00 in the morning to go to school. It was his last year and he was doing his best to improve his transcript and have a chance to qualify for state scholarships. It wouldn’t be easy and he knew that if he didn’t succeed, he would have no choice but to forget about his dream of being a college student and pursue a career that would help him and his mother get out of poverty and live a more peaceful life. But Will was going to fight to the end, even if in the end things didn’t go as he had planned. His mother had already left for work, the first of her two-day jobs, so Will ate his bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast in complete silence while he reviewed his math notes. Will was a lover of numbers and science. He had won the high school science contest three years in a row and his teachers never tired of praising him and telling him that he should continue to work hard every day because a brilliant career as a scientist awaited him.
“You have a brilliant mind, William. I have never met a student as dedicated and intelligent as you. Don’t give up; soon all your effort will be rewarded. I’m sure,” was what his science teacher Mr. Sharp, who had already proclaimed himself his biggest fan and a good friend of William’s, always told him.
Any other student in his place would have been confident and relaxed, knowing that he had the confidence of all his teachers and an excellent academic record, but William was not like the rest of the boys his age. He never relaxed or took anything for granted because if life and poverty had taught him anything, it was that many things could happen and change your life in a moment. That’s why every day he tried his best to get good grades and improve his performance. That same afternoon, after classes and shortly before their training with the high school debate club, the center would publicly announce that year’s scholarship recipients. It was an important day for everyone, perhaps the most important for someone like William, but he made no effort to act normal and put negative thoughts out of his mind until it was time to know the names of the lucky ones.
And to everyone’s astonishment, William Drake’s name was not on that list of privileged students who could enjoy a scholarship to study at one of the best universities in the country. Will was just one spot away from getting it. There was a lot of competition and he knew it, but he couldn’t help but be disappointed to learn that.
“Next year you’ll get the scholarship, Will. Don’t be discouraged; you just have to be patient,” the head of studies told him, trying to console him.
Will thanked his professors for their solidarity and resignedly accepted the court’s decision. After the debate club, in which he was rather quiet and absent, he decided to walk home and not stay for the celebratory dinner in honor of the scholarship recipients. He was very disappointed and did not feel like having to pretend to be happy. Such behavior was not like him, but even the most optimistic people have bad days and need to take time to digest bad news. But what Will didn’t know was that before that day was over, he would have to face a much bigger challenge than not getting a scholarship—a challenge that would test his courage and his love for the community and whose outcome would change the course of his destiny forever.
Normally, Will rode the school bus home, but that day he needed to be alone with his thoughts and took a long walk until he reached his neighborhood on the outskirts of town. And thank goodness he did. The sun was beginning to set when Will turned the corner of his street. It was June and summer was already starting to peak around the neighborhood. The gardens of his neighbors were full of flowers that gave off a mixture of smells that made him feel good and momentarily forget the bad news he had just received.
“You’re home now. You are safe here. Everything will be fine,” Will thought, closing his eyes and inhaling the floral aroma that filled the avenue.
His house was at the end of the street. It was the last of a long row of small buildings with the facade painted in the same color and small but very well-kept gardens. William knew each one of the inhabitants of those houses and felt a deep sense of belonging to that precious neighborhood community that he practically considered as his family—a beautiful family that was about to experience a tragic event in a matter of minutes and of which William would be a part. As he was walking towards the end of the street, Will smelled a new odor that made him twist and turn around instinctively. He stopped in front of the street and took a deep breath to identify the smell. It was the smell of burning wood.
“Fire? At this time of year, no one lights the fireplaces. How is that possible?” Will wondered, looking down both sides of the street.
And then he saw it: a column of black smoke rising into the sky from behind one of the houses. It was the house right next to his, the house of Mr. Anthony Lassal, a kind-hearted old man Will had known since childhood and loved as though he were his own grandfather. Will’s first thought was for his mother and his own house. The fire was only a few feet away and it would be easy for it to spread and burn down the other houses. But there was no time to stop and calculate the risks and possible directions the fire could take. If he were to have any chance of saving the house and, more importantly, the old man’s life if he was still inside, he had to act without delay.
With his heart pounding and barely out of breath, Will broke into a run for the house. When he reached the end of the street, he could see how the fire had already begun to spread throughout the house and part of the garden. The rest of the neighbors had already left their homes and watched in terror as the small wooden house was consumed by the fire.
“We must call the emergency services! You don’t have much time left!” shouted one of the neighbors, picking up his cell phone.
But Will could only think of one thing: saving Anthony’s life. At the back of the house where the fire had not yet reached, he could see that the old man’s car was parked, and that could only mean one thing: the old man was inside the house. Mr. Lassal was 82 years old and had serious mobility problems, so he always took his car to get around even if it was a short trip. Given the time of day and seeing his parked car, Will was sure that the old man was inside and must have been trapped in the fire.
“We must get into the house! Mr. Lassal is still inside!” Will shouted.
A neighbor who had started throwing water with his garden hose looked at him in disbelief. “You’re not thinking of going in there, are you? It’s suicide, Will! The flames are advancing too fast. Only a fireman should go in. Don’t risk it, boy!” he shouted at him as he tried to put out the fire surrounding the garden fence.
“I don’t think Mr. Anthony has time to wait for the fire department. They won’t get there in time to save him,” Will replied, staring in terror at the fire that was rising virulently before them.
Suddenly, amidst the chaos, Will heard a sound that made him shudder. It was the barking of Anthony’s dog. The old man had a German Shepherd that never left him alone.
“Did you hear it? It’s Tom’s barking! It’s Mr. Lassal’s dog!” he exclaimed, approaching the house.
“No, Will, stop!” warned the neighbor.
But Will had already made up his mind. He didn’t even have to think about it. He knew exactly what he had to do and didn’t stop to think about the risk he was taking by going into that burning house. Will’s mother had just come home from work and rushed over to where they were, but she could do nothing to stop her son.
“William, no! Son, come back!” cried Mrs. Drake, desperate in front of the flames.
But the boy could no longer hear her. He had just passed through the front door and was already in a jumble of furniture, smoke, and rising flames that surrounded everything. Will was moving forward, covering his mouth with his shirt and looking everywhere for Mr. Lassal and his dog. He ran to the living room but did not find them. He was also able to access the kitchen, where he left open a window through which he later planned to escape to the garden. On the first floor of the house, there was no trace of the old man, but the barking of his dog could be heard again piercing the flames. Will concentrated on trying to guess where the sound was coming from. It was very difficult because there was less and less oxygen. It was hard to breathe and he could hardly see anything, but finally, he deduced that the dog and the old man could only be in one place in the house: on the top floor. He probably climbed up there to take shelter from the fire.
“We still have a chance,” Will said to himself, climbing the wooden stairs two by two to reach the upper floor as quickly as possible.
“Mr. Lassal! Are you here? I’m Will, your neighbor! I’ve come to help you get out of here!” Will shouted in the middle of a corridor full of black smoke that prevented him from seeing anything.
No one answered. He couldn’t hear the dog barking either. Had he arrived too late? How much longer could he stay inside the house without risking his life? The air was getting thicker and Will felt his lungs burning with every breath of air, but he could not give up, not yet. Mr. Anthony was there, helpless in the fire. He couldn’t imagine what he must be going through. He advanced a few more meters and continued shouting with all his strength in search of the old man, but he still did not receive any response that would give him hope of finding him and being able to get him out of there alive. He was about to give up and run out the kitchen window when suddenly he heard something that made his blood run cold. It was Mr. Lassal calling for help from down the hall. His voice was barely audible amidst the flames and the noise the wood was making as it slowly gave way and crumbled, but Will had no doubt about what he had heard.
Feeling increasingly dizzy and coughing non-stop, Will made one last effort and reached the end of the hallway. He pushed the door—or what was left of it—with his elbow and looked inside. It was the washroom, and the fire had burned practically everything. Will reached into the flames and slapped the shower curtain aside. Just as he had thought, there it was: the old man had curled up with several wet towels next to his dog, which he was hugging tightly, trembling with fear.
“Mr. Lassal, it’s me, Will! Can you hear me? I’m William Drake, your neighbor! I’ve come to get you out of here!” Will shouted at him, pulling the towel away from his face.
“William, is that you? Oh, boy, thank you. You are an angel,” said Mr. Lassal in tears.
The old man looked at him with eyes full of terror and William felt his heart break. Without hesitation, he took the old man in his arms and grabbed the dog by the leash to lead them both outside. It wasn’t easy and William suffered several burns as he made his way down to the kitchen, but he didn’t care. His first priority was to protect the poor old man and save his and his dog’s lives.
“Tom, run! Jump!” he indicated to the dog, pointing at the open kitchen window.
The dog was in pain and very scared, but he obeyed and went out into the garden. There, several neighbors were already waiting for them and kept throwing water to put out the fire. The firemen had also arrived and started spraying the outside of the house with their hoses to gain access to the interior. Will was on the verge of fainting and having to carry the old man in his arms had left him exhausted, but he still had some energy left to save them both. He first picked up the old man and set him down on the edge of the window so that he could drop his legs over the other side and go out into the garden with the help of a neighbor.
Once he was sure the man was safe, Will set out to do the same. Just as he was about to jump through the window, the roof gave way and pieces of wood fell right where he was standing, forcing him to flinch into the flames. At that moment, Will felt real fear and for the first time he thought that he would not make it and that he was going to die trapped by the fire. But it was only for a moment because his will to live was too strong to be overcome by fear. He got up and staggered to the window and climbed through it as best he could, falling to the other side and feeling safe on the wet garden floor where his mother rushed to his aid along with a group of paramedics and firemen. All Will could hear was his mother screaming and asking if her son was still breathing. Then everything went black and the young man fell into a deep sleep.
When he awoke two hours later, William was on the hospital gurney and his mother was asleep next to him in an armchair.
“Mom, what happened? Where is Mr. Lassal and his dog?” asked Will, very upset.
Doctors told them that both the elderly man and his dog were fine and that Will’s intervention was crucial to save their lives, as firefighters would not have arrived in time.
“The fire burned the entire house and part of the garden, but the most important thing is that there were no serious injuries or casualties. Mr. Lassal is now resting and is completely out of danger. You were very brave, my boy. If you hadn’t gone in to get him, he probably wouldn’t have survived. The fire was totally out of control and not even the firemen dared to go in until they could bring it under control. That man will be indebted to you forever,” his doctor told him while examining him.
For his part, Will only had superficial injuries and a slight intoxication due to smoke inhalation, so the next morning he was discharged from the hospital and returned home to rest. But Will was about to get a big surprise when he returned home, because when he and his mother got out of the car, they saw that someone was already waiting for them at their door. Two men dressed in very smart black suits and carrying leather briefcases smiled at them as they arrived and informed them that they needed to share some documents with them.
“We have some very important news to tell you. Please let us escort you inside and talk calmly about it,” said one of the uniformed men in a friendly tone.
“Have I done something wrong? Are you lawyers? I just wanted to save my neighbor’s life,” Will was very scared when he saw those two men enter his house.
The two men laughed at the teenager’s reaction and rushed to reassure him. “We’re not here to punish you, Will, but to bring you a gift. You have nothing to fear,” said one of the men.
“A gift from whom?” asked Will with wide eyes.
“We are the attorneys for Mr. Anthony Lassal and we are here to bring you the latest update on his will. We think it is important that you read it and sign the documents as soon as possible,” the lawyer told him, bringing him a document.
Will and his mother read the document in silence for a couple of minutes. No one said anything. When William finished reading, he looked at his mother for answers, but she had the same astonished look on her face.
“What is this? Is this some kind of joke? What does this document mean?” asked Mrs. Drake, very agitated.
The lawyer smiled and in a calm voice reassured her. “No one is trying to make fun of you or your son. Everything in that document is true and as soon as you sign it, it will take effect immediately,” he said.
William was speechless. If what that document said was true and those men were really the lawyers of his neighbor, the man he had saved from the fire a few hours ago, his life was about to change forever.
“But this is a will, and it is only valid when a person dies. That means… wait a minute, what has happened to Mr. Lassal? Has he died? The doctor told me he would recover!” shouted William.
“Hey, hey, don’t worry. Mr. Anthony is perfectly fine and it was he himself who drafted this letter and sent me to your house to notify you. Wills can also be inherited during life if the owner so provides. So all the answers to your questions are the same. Yes, William, Mr. Lassal has given you part of his wealth so that you will never have to worry about money and your studies again. You will be able to study wherever you want and live in a bigger house. It’s his way of thanking you for what you did for him yesterday,” explained the lawyer calmly.
William took a few minutes to assimilate it, but then he smiled and felt a happiness inside him that he had not felt for a long time. The boy signed the document without hesitation and hugged his mother tightly.
“Did you hear that, Mom? You’ll never have to work in those places again. Never have to be out of the house all day. I’ll take care of everything. I’ll study and give you the good life you’ve always deserved,” said William, very excited.
That day was the beginning of a new life for William Drake and his mother—a life free of worries in which Will could start studying at the university and his mother stopped working 10 hours a day. But above all, a free and happy life that reminds us that good deeds always get their reward and that we should never lose hope.
