Heard this amazing real life story from a friend, who I'll call Rafael for the purpose of this story.
He is a fifty-something man living happily with his wife and his almost twenty year old kids. About twelve years ago, his dad passed away. And his mom had passed away a couple of years before that. His dad (let's call him Rafael Senior) grew up in Brazil. My friend's mom was born and raised in Austria. When she wanted to immigrate to the U.S., she was advised to go to Brazil and then move to the United States from there. At the time, this was the best option in front of her. So she moved to Brazil, met Rafael Sr. there and married him. They had three sons, my friend being the middle one. And then the couple moved to the States with their three sons.
Now, why am I detailing this family story - wait, it gets interesting!
Turns out, Rafael Sr. dropped out of college after studying engineering for three years. With this, he earned the wrath of his father who threw him out of his house. From then on, he's had no connections with his family. My friend Rafael, thus, has never met his paternal grandparents or any of his uncles or aunts on his dad's side. The ties remained severed. After his father's demise, Rafael tried to find his dad's side of the family by registering on a South American missing persons' website, with details of his dad. For a long time, he didn't get any response. Ten years later, one day, out of the blue, he received an email from someone who clamied to be his brother - from another mother!
Now Rafael was trying to connect with his dad's siblings- his uncles and aunts, not with his own possible siblings! He thought it was a scam and didn't want to have any communication with the man who had reached out. But after some goading from his wife, Rafael continued the conversation. He was provided with pictures of Rafael Sr., wedding pictures of Rafael Sr. with another woman and family pictures with three kids - a sister and two brothers!
His head began to spin. Birth certificates and marriage certificates and more proof was willingly shared. It took a long time to process all these. His dad had been married before and had had three kids before he ever met his mom. His dad had never mentioned this woman or the kids to his mom or the three of them brothers. The first wife of Rafael Sr. had passed away too. Rafael's mind felt like it was spinning inside a clothes washer.
After much thinking and talking, Rafael set up a video conference call with his half brothers and sisters. Eighteen of them had gotten together on the other side of the call to talk to Rafael and his younger brother. When he saw his oldest half brother, his heart skipped a beat. He looked exactly like a younger version of his dad, moved and spoke and smiled just like him. Like fog clearing from the first rays of sun, the weeks of denial was starting to abate. In its place, inexplicable emotions quickly lodged themselves, cushioned amply by restlessness and turmoil.
He is a fifty-something man living happily with his wife and his almost twenty year old kids. About twelve years ago, his dad passed away. And his mom had passed away a couple of years before that. His dad (let's call him Rafael Senior) grew up in Brazil. My friend's mom was born and raised in Austria. When she wanted to immigrate to the U.S., she was advised to go to Brazil and then move to the United States from there. At the time, this was the best option in front of her. So she moved to Brazil, met Rafael Sr. there and married him. They had three sons, my friend being the middle one. And then the couple moved to the States with their three sons.
Now, why am I detailing this family story - wait, it gets interesting!
Turns out, Rafael Sr. dropped out of college after studying engineering for three years. With this, he earned the wrath of his father who threw him out of his house. From then on, he's had no connections with his family. My friend Rafael, thus, has never met his paternal grandparents or any of his uncles or aunts on his dad's side. The ties remained severed. After his father's demise, Rafael tried to find his dad's side of the family by registering on a South American missing persons' website, with details of his dad. For a long time, he didn't get any response. Ten years later, one day, out of the blue, he received an email from someone who clamied to be his brother - from another mother!
Now Rafael was trying to connect with his dad's siblings- his uncles and aunts, not with his own possible siblings! He thought it was a scam and didn't want to have any communication with the man who had reached out. But after some goading from his wife, Rafael continued the conversation. He was provided with pictures of Rafael Sr., wedding pictures of Rafael Sr. with another woman and family pictures with three kids - a sister and two brothers!
His head began to spin. Birth certificates and marriage certificates and more proof was willingly shared. It took a long time to process all these. His dad had been married before and had had three kids before he ever met his mom. His dad had never mentioned this woman or the kids to his mom or the three of them brothers. The first wife of Rafael Sr. had passed away too. Rafael's mind felt like it was spinning inside a clothes washer.
After much thinking and talking, Rafael set up a video conference call with his half brothers and sisters. Eighteen of them had gotten together on the other side of the call to talk to Rafael and his younger brother. When he saw his oldest half brother, his heart skipped a beat. He looked exactly like a younger version of his dad, moved and spoke and smiled just like him. Like fog clearing from the first rays of sun, the weeks of denial was starting to abate. In its place, inexplicable emotions quickly lodged themselves, cushioned amply by restlessness and turmoil.
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