Reunion: Hearts on the Line, Page 2
25 Years Ago It was twenty-five years ago, when he was fifteen, that he had had sex with her mother in a forest preserve, an immature young man with throbbing genitals. She was three years his senior, "the older woman." He had not had feelings for her then, and even now was having difficulty remembering what she looked like.
They met again a little over a year later, took a train together into the city, and he signed the "relinquishment papers," terminating his "parental rights." They'd had no contact after the silent train ride back. And he had never shared his story with anyone until he told me.
***
David stared at the phone for a minute, composing himself, then slowly dialed the number. A woman's voice answered. He identified himself and she asked him:
"Do you know Kathy Higgins?"
"Yes."
"Did you date her in 1975?"
"Yes."
"Do you know she gave birth to a child that year?"
"Yes, I know."
He turned to me, wide-eyed and trembling, and mouthed the words, "It's my daughter."
The Voice on the phone continued, "I'm contacting you on behalf of that child, Kerri Anderson. She found her birth mother four months ago, and Kathy has named you as the father. She's been searching for you since that time. Were you aware of her existence?"
"Yes."
"Are you married?"
Again: "Yes."
"Does your wife know about her?"
"Yes."
She had finally found him. He took a deep breath and settled into the kitchen chair. David and the Voice exchanged some initial information, both speaking cautiously and trying to anticipate where the conversation would lead.
The Voice, having prepared for the conversation that caught David off-guard, continued:
"Do you have any other children?"
"Yes."
"Do they know about your daughter?"
"No."
"Would you be willing to have contact with her?"
"Of course I would!"
David composed himself enough to ask: "Is she all right?"
The Voice responded: "Yes. She just wants to know where she came from."
"Is she married? Does she have any children?"
"No and no."
"Is she happy?"
"Very."
The Voice told us that she was surprised David returned her call. She explained that Kerri might call him, but might choose to write instead. David gave her our address and telephone number and asked that the Voice tell her we'd been waiting for a long time.
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Comments
What a sad story of a "reunion." I feel for Kerri that she will never know her father. I ache for this man who had for twenty five years carried around the guilt of giving a child up for adoption and then finding out that he had not fathered a child at all. What an emotional upheaval this must have caused for Kerri, her adoptive parents, and this couple who thought she was going to become part of their lives. This story should show readers that even though we think we have the story about our birth, that sometimes it may not be true and we should be careful in our search.
Posted by: culinary at 12/01/2005 03:59 PM
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