“When this man came to the wedding, everyone was shocked. But when he took the microphone, they were speechless. John was a homeless man in his 40s. The only thing he remembers was waking up in a hospital about five years earlier.
He didn’t even know his name, but the people at the hospital called him John, so he went by it. In the hospital, he was told he was found barely alive on the side of the road. It seemed he was flung out of a car that ended up crashing and burning at the bottom of a cliff, and every other person in the vehicle died but him. The other people in the vehicle were all men, and there was no further explanation to their connection.
The doctors knew that the accident had led to him suffering from Amnesia, but they thought it was temporary and he would regain his memories with time. They couldn’t trace his family as he had no ID on him, so when he was healthy enough to be released, they let him go with the hope that he would head back home. But Jon didn’t go home as he didn’t know where that was.
The first day he was released, he sat at the bus station for hours with no idea of where to go. When the last bus came, he went on in and got off at the last stop. That was where he met Ray, who found him roaming the streets.
Ray had asked him if he needed a place to sleep, and when Jon responded that he did, he took him to a hub of homeless people not far from the bus station. John was surprised to see several tents in one place and was glad at how welcoming the people were.
He was asked questions, but he didn’t have answers to them, but that didn’t stop them from giving him a place to sleep. As time went by, he became accustomed to the ways of living like a homeless person. Rey showed him how to get the basic needs he required, and he was content with how his life went, but there was always something nagging at the back of his mind. He needed to know what his life was like before the accident, but it didn’t come back to him.
There was one thing Jon remembered, it was a song. He didn’t remember where he heard it, but it always brought him comfort. Whenever he sang it, he had sung the song every night since he got to the homeless Hub, and soon he was known as John the singer. On nights when they needed to be entertained, they called him to sing, but he sang only that song, and they soon grew tired of hearing it.
One day, John and Rey were scavenging for food, and they stumbled upon a place where loud music was being played. Jon stopped to listen, and soon he was singing along. The lyrics came from his memory, and he was excited to remember something from his past.
So, every day after that, he went to the same place to listen to music. He hardly ever knew the lyrics, but he started knowing several songs and started entertaining people at the shelter with them. One day, a friend suggested that he could start singing to make a buck. Everyone agreed, and that was how he started charging a dollar per request.
For some reason, he knew he could play the guitar, and he saved up to get one. John the singer became quite popular. He always sat on sidewalks with a cardboard on his neck that read ‘make your song request, and I’ll grant your wishes for a dollar.’ John always took his earnings to the shelter for them to be shared. It seemed like Jon was comfortable with his new life, but there was still that question about his past.
Just on the other side of the country, a couple was planning their wedding. Ryan and May had gone above and beyond to ensure their wedding was perfect. They had delayed the wedding ceremony for years to have their fairy tale wedding.
They got the designer outfits and even planned the destination wedding as it was all part of their dream. But as the wedding day came closer, Mae started feeling sad. As a girl, she had dreamed of her dad walking her down the aisle, but her dad was not around, so she couldn’t spend the significant moment with him. Her brother tried to cheer her up by offering to take on their dad’s role, but it wasn’t just the same.
Just two days before the wedding, they flew to the destination of their wedding to set everything up, but that night before the wedding, they got a message from the band that was supposed to play that their flight had been delayed, and they wouldn’t be able to make it in time for their wedding. May couldn’t believe it. Her perfect wedding would be ruined if they didn’t get someone to sing.
Her friend suggested getting a DJ, but none was available. Someone then suggested compiling a playlist of wedding team songs on their phone and connecting it to the speakers. May broke down in tears at the thought of it, but she agreed anyway as there was no other option left.
After the music issue was resolved, the groom and his friends went to the town for the bachelor’s Eve. On their way, they heard a homeless man sing to a group of people. His voice was so sonorous, and a thought popped into the groom’s head. He walked up to the man and asked him to sing a wedding song. After giving the man a dollar, the man’s voice filled the air. Ryan, the groom, then asked John if he would like to sing at the real wedding the next day, and the homeless man agreed.
The next day, the groomsmen went to pick up the homeless man John from his usual spot. He had tried to dress up nicely, but his clothes were old and dirty. The groomsmen knew he wouldn’t have something nice to wear, so they got him an outfit. His unkempt beard and long hair still made him look a bit haggard, but he looked better. They told him to come on stage to sing when it was time for the bride and groom to dance.
Before the wedding reception, the groom had informed his bride that he had a surprise for her, but she couldn’t think of what it was. When it was time for their first dance, she saw a man with a guitar go on stage. May and some of the guests were not sure about his appearance. In fact, they were a bit shocked and wondered who this shabby-looking man was. But before May could get upset once again, the man opened his mouth and began to sing. His voice was incredible.
May was so surprised and happy, and Ryan was pleased as well. May kept asking where Ryan had found him, but he didn’t give her an answer. He just said, “Don’t worry, my love. Let’s enjoy our wedding party.” After Jon sang the first song, the people requested more.
The first song that came to his mind was the song he remembered from his past, the only song he initially sang at the shelter. When he took the microphone and began to sing, the bride suddenly stopped dancing. She looked at the homeless man closely and said, “Dad.” She had asked because her dad had composed this song for her. They had both sung it a lot when she was younger.
Everyone in the wedding hall was confused, but she moved closer, and a glint of recognition showed in her eyes. She rushed to hug him and burst into tears. Her mother and brother also walked up to the stage to confirm what she had said. When they found out it was true, they also hugged him. Jon was confused, but as they hugged him, he began seeing pictures of their faces in his memory, especially that of his wife.
Ryan didn’t know what to make of the situation, but when May ran over to hug him, he knew he had made the best decision by inviting the homeless man to sing at their wedding. John, whose real name was Jake, had been in a band.
The band did fairly well and got invited to perform shows. The year he went missing, the band had been so excited to go to their biggest show in a different state. He and his bandmates had been so excited to go, but to cut costs, they decided to go by car. On their way to the show, the car crash happened, and everyone thought they had all died.
John couldn’t believe he still had a family. It took him some time for him to recover all of his memory, but as he spent more time with his family, the memories trickled in bits and drops. Keeping his new name, John also kept his friends at the shelter.
He visited them often to show his appreciation with gifts and food. John also continued to do what he does best and performed at several events while also creating new memories with his daughter and the rest of his family. What do you think of Jon’s story? Share your thoughts with me in the comment section. See you next time.