(Composed by Jenn)
”I’m the one you’re looking for I think.” She said.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. The blonde haired, blue eyed woman before me bore such an amazing resemblance to her probable birth mother it was uncanny.
“Beth?” I asked, still in awe. She nodded, her warm face beaming with joyful uncertainty. We sat down at a corner booth where we could talk in semi privacy within the crowded sandwich shop.
“I thought I’d never find you. Ever.” I said. My hands were shaking, my heart pounding with every word.
“I know. I almost passed out when I read your email.” Beth told me. “I am so bad about checking it. I can’t believe you’ve been trying to get me for two weeks!” she almost cried.
“I don’t give up easily. I couldn’t. I had to find you for my own peace, let alone the peace for your natural family.” I told her. I can be a very stubborn person, especially when I have something that belongs to someone else; I’ll do anything and everything to get to them. I had had the family that belonged to her long enough.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough. You have truly changed my life from this point forward.” Beth stated. “All my parents have is the receipt where they paid for my adoption. I had nothing else to go on. You have changed all of that.”
I had never had someone compliment me in a manner that touched me so deeply, to the core. My search for her had been a journey of frustration, hurt, and blame. Now, it was over. We talked for a bit more, then agreed that she would come to my place to see the information and pictures I had on her possible family. Then of course, there was that phone call to make that would send everything into a tailspin.
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
I had long suspected after finding Beth that we may have been in the same foster home at the same time; thus possibly explaining the mix-up and how everything happened. We got the confirmation that I was right the week of April 17, 2005 when Beth finally got her full records from the state. In them she found the name of the foster mother she had had. Mrs. Mabel Roberts. The same as mine. Strangely enough, we had also had the same welfare department social worker and judge that signed off on our adoptions. Why the same social worker would act so differently with two placements so close together we have never figured out. (refer to our individual stories for the differences)
Beth looked up Mabel’s son listed in the records, Rick, who now is a 51 year old man. After finally locating the right person, who just happened to still reside in Terre Haute, she went to the address in the phone book unannounced. Just showing up on the doorstep, no knowing what to expect, she explained to the woman answering why she was there. Again, after that, everything just steam rolled.
The woman she spoke with was Rick’s wife, and she got him on his cell phone. As a cross-country truck driver, he isn't home much. He was stunned that one of his mother's former 'children' had come to see him and told Beth to come back Sunday night when he was home. He had his mother’s records and pictures from that time.
Go back she did...and I knew nothing at this point. She called me on Sunday April 24th with the news stating,
“Jenn, are you sitting down?” she asked excitedly.
“Yea.” My husband and I were just sitting down to a movie.
“Well, guess what. I found Rick! I’m at his house!” She exclaimed. “You know, Mabel’s’ son, Mabel Roberts was both of our foster mother just like you thought!”
"We're sitting side by side in these pictures!!”
I was speechless. Turns out he lived right up the road a couple of miles from me so I drove over to see for myself. I was nervous, but my excitement kept my shyness at bay. He had everything spread out for us to look at and Beth was pointing and showing me the pictures. Mabel had kept immaculate records. She had a ledger book with information on each and every child she had cared for over the years (1964-1982); well over 200 children in all!
The pictures were amazing and we couldn't quit looking at ourselves as infants. I'd always longed for baby pictures...real baby pics, not just from 18 months on. Now I not only had them, but concrete proof that I really was part of this saga, not just some random name plucked from thin air and tossed into the mix. It was such closure for both of us; that we really did exist prior to May 1974; real babies with a names and faces. We had first birthdays and Christmas. We were cared for and cuddled; disciplined and comforted by this man who sat with us and his mother.
Over the course of the next week or so, Rick helped us get back a part of our lives we never thought we'd see. Mabel had passed away in 1985 and he took us to see her gravesite as well as the house we lived in, and to meet one of his brothers. He and his wife are two of the most gracious folks I've ever met and we all became instant friends despite the age differences.
Beth and I truly are "Bonded by Fate" and are the best of friends now...and forever will be.
To my forever 'sister' - "Love ya!!"
