The Search

The Search



It was there alright, just not with the information he assumed would be on it. "Max, we were going to tell you when we thought you were able to understand" "When was that, when I was eighteen, twenty, or fifty?" Max exclaimed back at them in frustration. Yes sir, that day changed everything, he was adopted.

Today is the day, thought Max. Today is the day he has been thinking about for nearly 2 months, ever since his world was turned upside down and shook sideways. He sat up, careful not to make any out of the ordinary noises. Reaching for his cell phone, he pressed the power button. He closed his door, not that anyone could hear him, his parents were deep sleepers. Normal sounds never bothered them, it was OUT of the ordinary sounds, that would wake them. 

He dialed his best friend, Dari, she answered before the first ring. "Are you ready for this? You can still change your mind, I will totally understand." Max mumbled into his phone. Everyone thought it was weird that he and Dari were such good friends, because she was a girl. Dari was actually his best friend. She could keep a secret like no one else. Dari is smart, funny, and the most honest person he knew. She always told what she thought, even if you didn't want to hear it. " Yes, I'm ready and no, I'm not changing my mind. So, let's get this dog and pony show on the road." She always said stuff like that. I don't know where she comes up with it. I told her I would meet her at the river in twenty minutes. 

He tiptoed down the hallway, he looked again at all the family pictures hanging there on the walls. A million things were going through his fifteen year old mind. What would his parents think when they found out what He was doing? Would they understand or would they be hurt? What about Dari's parents? They were really strict, would She be grounded? He quietly closed the front door and went to meet Dari.

Max walked down the country road, thinking how quickly his life changed. He had come home from his first day of high school. His class schedule in hand, he called his dad at work. "Dad, you'll never believe it, I am taking Driver Ed. I'm one of the kids whose birthdays are in September, we're enrolled in the class before the others. I have give Mrs. Slater a photo Id or my birth certificate." Max did not have a photo Id but he knew his parents had a copy of his birth certificate. He knew this because he asked his mom about it once when he wanted to change his name to "Max The Great", when he was eight. She always said his birth certificate was in the safe deposit box.

He continued walking and thinking. The news didn't really change anything, he was still the same old computer nerd he had always been. He was still Joyce and Stan's son, same friends, just a lot of questions he wanted answers to. This was the day he would get those answers. His search on the internet and e-mail after e-mail to a lot of different people was about to pay off.

Since it was a closed adoption at the time, his birth mother couldn't try to contact him. But his parents had an arrangement at the time, he could contact her, it was up to him. So the ball was in his court, as Dari would say. As he jogged up the hill to the tire swing, he heard Dari whisper, "Max, over here." I ran the rest of the way up the hill. "Sorry, I had to make sure everyone was still asleep and leave the note about going to school early"

They walked quietly all the way to the bus station. "I am going to get the tickets, be right back", Dari informed him. While he waited, he pulled out his laptop to double check the bus route. Dari came back with the tickets, "I can't believe she has lived three towns away all this time" Max mumbled to himself.

The bus pulled up as Dari and Max read the screen. Max began to shut down his laptop when suddenly he heard "ding, ding". He jerked his head around, thinking it must have been someone's cell phone. "Max,open it back up" Dari coaxed him. "OMG!" Max yelled. "I got an answer, she e-mailed me back!" Max opened his email program a life changing note.

"Max, I was so overjoyed to receive your letter. I have hoped for this day so that I may see the fine young man you have become. I have seen you grow up in pictures and letters from your wonderful parents. We have so much to talk about, so I will make this short. I am copying your parents this since I'm sure you two would not want them to worry. I will meet your bus at 10:15am, and we can spend the afternoon together. 

Love, Kate"

Max stared at Dari dumbfounded, "Well, I always said there ain't no such thing as a GOOD secret." Dari whispered. They hopped on the bus just as it began to rain.

As the bus pulled out, Max could help but wonder if this was the end of his search, or only the beginning.