Surprise!

There is something special about a brown paper-wrapped cardboard box. It is a package that holds potential. From the moment you get that parcel, it could hold anything. That box could hold a dream come true. That one small box could change your life.

Surprise

My daughter and I were sitting at home on a Saturday morning. The doorbell rang and surprised us. I went to answer it. A UPS guy dressed in a brown suit handed me a small brown paper-wrapped cardboard box. I wasn't expecting a package. I looked at the suspicious small brown box and signed for it. The name on the return address was one I hadn’t seen in twenty-two years. It was from Dan Walters my estranged father. He left my mother and me when I was thirteen years old. I hadn’t had any contact with him since.

As I looked at the name I could remember him fighting with my mother the day he left. They fought a lot when I was growing up, so I didn’t think anything of it. I was upset when he didn’t come back home. He came back a week later and tried to explain why he had to leave. I knew he wasn’t coming home and I was so angry. Sometimes I wished that I had heard him out. Why was he sending me a package now, after all these years?

Should I open the package, would that be betraying my mother who had worked so hard to raise me without him? My mind was suddenly at war with itself. If I opened this package, would it be accepting him and what pain could this box have in store for me after so long. I had spent so many years getting over the pain of his leaving. On the other hand, he was my father. After ten minutes of internal debate, my twelve-year-old daughter said come on Mom, you know you have to open it. I ripped the paper and carefully opened the small box.

I remember that day as if it was yesterday. This was the day that changed my life. There was a letter inside and a small package. I opened a small white envelope with my name, Erica, written across it. I recognized my father’s scrawl ever after all this time.

Dearest Erica,

I am sorry I didn’t share this with you before. I guess I was afraid of what you would say. The truth is you have a sister. Her name is Jenny she is 12 years younger than you are. She is an only child too, and I thought you may want to know. She lives an hour away from you in Covington.

I bought these silver coins when you were born and I have been holding onto them. They reminded me of you and I couldn’t part with them. Now was past time to tell you the whole story. You are the oldest and I am hoping you can give the second coin to your sister from me. Maybe you may want to be in touch so I put my return address on this package. If you don’t reach out I will understand.

All My Love,

Dad

I had a sister and she lived close by. Her name must be Jenny or Jennifer Walters. My father's name was Jason Walters. If my sister was twelve years younger than I was she would be twenty-three. Did she know about me? Did she even want a sister? I found the two silver dollars my Dad talked about wrapped in pink tissue paper at the bottom of the box. He told me he loved me but how could he keep my sister from me for so long.

I had a sister. I had always wanted a little sister. I looked up the name Jennifer Walters on my phone. I checked my phone and found 20 Jenny Walters in Covington. My daughter and I weeded through the different Jenny Walters. Finally, we found four that were twenty-three.

I sent out an email-

I am looking for Jenny Walters who is the daughter of Dan Walters. If that is you could you please reply to this email?

Thank you,

Erica Walters

The next day I received a reply.

Hi Erica,

I think I might be the Jenny Walters you are looking for. I think you might be my sister. I am a little nervous. I have been wanting to meet you for a long time. Do you want to meet up somewhere?

Jenny

We planned to meet at the Rusty Rib. A barbecue restaurant between Covington and South Bend where I live. I was so excited to meet my new sister that I got to the restaurant fifteen minutes early. I knew exactly who she was the moment she walked into the restaurant. It was an immediate recognition. She had brown hair like mine, but she had blue eyes. Her face was oval like mine. It was so emotional we both cried, all the pain our father had caused could now be shared.

We were like old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years. I told her about my wonderful daughter. She talked about her new boyfriend. I gave her the silver dollar my father asked me to give her. We talked about our father. She hadn’t seen him in ten years. We thought together we could face him and ask him the question that plagued us, Why? It may be confusing to find you have a sister after all those years, but it is also wonderful because now together we can welcome the future and put the past behind us.