THE PHONE CALL

I was reluctant and wishful at the same time to talk about Albert. Finally I have made up my mind and thus I am going to share with all my love towards him and Carole, his wife, his story with you.

So here goes the first chapter

It still looks like it was yesterday when he told us that he wanted to introduce us to a very important person, this was why he was planning to organize a party for all his friends. It was summer, August to be more precise.

His arm was lying around my shoulders in a gesture which was quite usual to him, when he confessed to my husband and I that he wanted to introduce us to his daughter.

That was a shock! Something quite unexpected as we knew him for almost ten years at that time and have never heard about her during all those years.

I immediately stared at him trying to find some clues in his eyes to confirm the fact that it was a joke, that he was kidding, but no, it was not the case, he was really serious. This is why I was just able to repeat in a whisper “Your daughter?” And then Carole, his wife for more than 25 years, joined our little group, smiling and Albert took her hand and said: “Yes, my daughter” and beautiful Carole nodded.

So Albert kept on telling us the story of his daughter.

“I fell in love for the first time at 18. She was 10 years my eldest and was our German receptionist at the hotel my parents ran on the beach. We were madly in love with each other and our nights were full of passion and laughters, but one day she disappeared without any explanation, without leaving me a single word.

I asked my mother what was wrong and she just told me that she had decided to go back to Germany. That was nonsense! That was impossible!!!

I was 18 and my world and I sank into the depth of ocean with her unexpected and silent departure…

I finished my studies, met Carole, got married to her and left Spain for London, where we live as you know.

Last winter, the day before Christmas, the phone rang and I answered it. The voice at the other end was a female one. My speaker was addressing me in Spanish. She started asking me if I was Albert N., if my birthday was … and if she was calling London. I was puzzled, and my curiosity and surprise were growing with each question she was asking me.

Our conversation came to a point when I was rude to her, saying that I didn’t like that kind of jokes, that she was an intruder calling me at home and that I wanted the know who the hell she was.

There was a silence then at the other end of the line and then she said in a clear and loud voice: “I am R…, the daughter of R…, and you are my father!”

I fall on the floor, speechless, dizzy and I put the receiver down.”