THE FLASHBACK

There were so many questions I was anxious to ask Albert, but instead of that I remained silent, waiting politely for him to go on with his story, and so he did.

“I was flabbergasted, unable to react, to move… my head was processing the unexpected news, my heart was out of control and I could not breathe. Was it a dream? Was I starting to become insane? Did the last phone conversation ever happen?

When Carole came back home, I was still in a state of shock. She asked me what was going on and I told her about the whole conversation. Her reaction was extraordinary; she took my head in her hands and said softly: “Ush, baby, ush, it is OK. We are going to check out the whole thing together. Come, let me help you to stand up on your feet. Let’s see if our phone has kept the number of your speaker and let’s clarify the subject… but you have had enough for today… so don’t worry, you are not alone and nothing is gonna spoil our Xmas celebrations. We will check this on January, and come what may… Everything is gonna be OK, darling.”

Isn’t she amazing? Isn’t she great? I was telling my wife that I might have a daughter of 39, while our marriage had not been blessed with any children, and she was not mad with me, and was not making a fuss about all that.

Carole smiled to him and said: “Come on Albert, don’t make me blush, go on darling, finish your story”.

So we started the brand new year with lots of phone calls, lots of emails, lots of scans, lots of photos, lots of faxes… R. was my daughter. She was 39 years old, she was married and had two sons, which meant I was also a grandfather.

Her phone call, before Xmas, had put an end to a ten years search…

Her mother had told her that her dad had passed away shortly after her birth, and that he was a Spanish Prince who loved her beyond reason.

She sent me all the drawings she had made as a child and her dad was on them with a crown of his head.

She started studying Spanish to make sure she would be able to understand me when we met as she was absolutely sure I was alive and that she was going to find me.

It took her ten years of her life. You will know later why it was that long.

The first time I saw her coming through the Arrivals gate at Heathrow I had another shock. There was no doubt! She was my clone in a female body. It was like looking at myself, in a flashback, 40 years ago, and 40 years later I was finally able to hug her and to kiss her.

Reunited!”