Chapter 4: Unbearable Decisions
"What did you say?" His body felt numb. He felt sleepy all over.
"Oh, Daniel. I'm your true mother. I had to leave you on the doorstep because I was afraid that you would not have a great future with me. I was becoming bankrupt, and was afraid I might lose you. I'm so sorry. Thank God you're still here, I was afraid you might have moved."
A cold feeling swept over David. He was losing consciousness, and he could feel his eyes rolling into his head. The coldness was freezing his lungs, his heart, and his mind. He was drowning in it, and could not breathe. His knees buckled under him. He fell over, and the world went black. He could hear someone screaming his name, but he could not resist any longer. He fell into the darkness, and it enveloped him and swallowed him.
He awoke inside a white room. His eyes adjusted to the brightness slowly, and he made out the shape of someone standing over him.
"Mom?"
"I'm right here sweetie. Joanne is coming dear, and will be here soon. How are you? You fainted when you heard the news, I thought you went into shock. How are you feeling? Do you want anything?"
"I'm fine mom. But what's going to happen? Now that I know you're my birth mother?"
"Well, since you're legally my son, I want you to move to Australia with me and live with us."
"WHAT?!" I can't mom! I've got Joanne to look after."
'So that's it, isn't it? You don't need me? After I gave birth to you and I've spent a long time trying to find you, you're going to love her instead? Oh God, I cannot stay here. I must go, excuse me."
She hurried from the room, great tears forming in her eyes. She silently cried as she opened the door to leave.
"Mom! Wait! Don't go!"
After she left, he was left to brood in his own thoughts.
Great. Just great! Now she thinks you hate her guts, you make me sick. Oh shut up. The only question now is what am I going to do? I've gotta do something.
"David! There you are!" Joanne bustled into the room, and gave David a hug. I was so worried. How are you? Do you want some turnips? Or maybe some apples?"
"I'm fine, Ma, I just.don't know what to do," he confessed.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know about Spring, right?"
"Of.of course. I've been dreading this day for years." She looked around, found a small armchair, pulled it over to his bed, and sat down. She leaned over him.
"When I first found you, you were very small, wrapped in a bundle. On top of you was a letter from your mother. She wrote to me telling me her story.
"When you were only six months old, she lost her job. She used to work as a computer analyst. But, with technology reaching its peak, they now had machines that could recalibrate and fix other machines. So they no longer needed your mother. So they fired her. Well, with no money and no where to live, she was afraid for your life. She was afraid you might starve or catch a deadly disease. So she left you with me.
"When you were three, I got another letter from her. She said that now, the machines aren't working right, because the robotic computer analysts made one error that fried a whole line of computers. So they re- hired your mother, and gave her a huge salary. She said she wanted him back, but would wait a little while to make sure things turned out OK.
"Well, it was good she waited. After a year working, they got upgraded machines to do her work, so they fired her again. She wondered from city to city for work. Finally, she left for Australia, a mostly animal community, since they didn't use much technology.
"She wound up getting a very good paying job at the hospital to keep their machines working very well. It was the almost only piece of technology, besides the train, they used. This was when you were nine. I knew you would have to go back with her soon. But I didn't say anything. Why? I just wanted to have you as my son. You were the love of my life.
"Well, after you moved out, your mother had stopped sending letters, and decided to start looking for you. She called everywhere, to get tips. She finally got a tip last month that you were here. So she packed up, got ready, and, well, you know the rest." She finished, and sat back in her chair.
"Well, what do I do? She wants me to do move back there with her, but I don't want to leave you here."
"Son, you must do what your heart tells you to do. I have to go now. I will see you in the morning."
Listen to my heart? Likes that's going to do a whole lot of good.
Weeks passed, and after a few days in the hospital, he was pronounced fine and left. That's when all hell broke loose in his life.
*Court Hearing 1*
"All rise before the Honorable Judge Rithop," said the officer near the stand. David stood, and waited. This was his most nervous day of his life.
"Please be seated. This hereby starts the official court hearing for this court session. Prosecution, would you please make your case now."
"Thank you your honor. As you know, this courtroom struggle is for the custody rights of David. My client, Ms. Spring Patricia, wants full custody rights over David. You honor, I'd like to call my client to the stand as my first witness."
"Of course. Bailiff, if you would."
"Of course your honor." He helped Spring up, and guided her to the stand.
'Please put your right hand on the Bible. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Yes."
"Please be seated."
"Ms. Patricia, do you recognize this slip of paper?" The attorney had pulled out a slip of paper.
"Yes."
"Could you tell the court room what this is?"
"It is a birth certificate for David."
"Your Honor, would you please look at this?"
"Yes. Bailiff?"
"Here you are, you Honor."
"This looks authentic. It says that the legal guardian is Ms. Spring Patricia."
"Yes your Honor. Now, Ms. Patricia, why do you want your son back?"
"Because I love him, and I didn't want to originally leave him with her."
"You may now step down. Thank you."
"Defense, please make your case now." The judge shifted slightly in his seat.
"Yes. I would .like to call David to the stand."
"Of course. Bailiff?"
The bailiff guided David to the stand.
"Please put your right hand on the Bible. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Yes." He replied, in a voice quite unlike his own.
"Please be seated."
"David, how long have you been living with Joanne?"
"Since I was fifteen. I moved out shortly after my fifteenth birthday."
"How old are you now?"
"I am now just over eighteen."
"So, your Honor, I would like to make the point that David is of age where he can choose where to live."
"Very well. Reviewing the facts, I would also agree, that David is now old enough to make his own decisions. David, who do you want to live with?"
David stared at the judge, then down to the floor, On one side was his true mother, wide eyed and hopeful. On the other was his childhood mother, her eyes sad and lost. How would he ever choose. Tears welled in his eyes. He felt tears dribbling down his cheek and onto the floor. He would now have to make the most life-changing decision of all.
*To Be Continued*
"What did you say?" His body felt numb. He felt sleepy all over.
"Oh, Daniel. I'm your true mother. I had to leave you on the doorstep because I was afraid that you would not have a great future with me. I was becoming bankrupt, and was afraid I might lose you. I'm so sorry. Thank God you're still here, I was afraid you might have moved."
A cold feeling swept over David. He was losing consciousness, and he could feel his eyes rolling into his head. The coldness was freezing his lungs, his heart, and his mind. He was drowning in it, and could not breathe. His knees buckled under him. He fell over, and the world went black. He could hear someone screaming his name, but he could not resist any longer. He fell into the darkness, and it enveloped him and swallowed him.
He awoke inside a white room. His eyes adjusted to the brightness slowly, and he made out the shape of someone standing over him.
"Mom?"
"I'm right here sweetie. Joanne is coming dear, and will be here soon. How are you? You fainted when you heard the news, I thought you went into shock. How are you feeling? Do you want anything?"
"I'm fine mom. But what's going to happen? Now that I know you're my birth mother?"
"Well, since you're legally my son, I want you to move to Australia with me and live with us."
"WHAT?!" I can't mom! I've got Joanne to look after."
'So that's it, isn't it? You don't need me? After I gave birth to you and I've spent a long time trying to find you, you're going to love her instead? Oh God, I cannot stay here. I must go, excuse me."
She hurried from the room, great tears forming in her eyes. She silently cried as she opened the door to leave.
"Mom! Wait! Don't go!"
After she left, he was left to brood in his own thoughts.
Great. Just great! Now she thinks you hate her guts, you make me sick. Oh shut up. The only question now is what am I going to do? I've gotta do something.
"David! There you are!" Joanne bustled into the room, and gave David a hug. I was so worried. How are you? Do you want some turnips? Or maybe some apples?"
"I'm fine, Ma, I just.don't know what to do," he confessed.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know about Spring, right?"
"Of.of course. I've been dreading this day for years." She looked around, found a small armchair, pulled it over to his bed, and sat down. She leaned over him.
"When I first found you, you were very small, wrapped in a bundle. On top of you was a letter from your mother. She wrote to me telling me her story.
"When you were only six months old, she lost her job. She used to work as a computer analyst. But, with technology reaching its peak, they now had machines that could recalibrate and fix other machines. So they no longer needed your mother. So they fired her. Well, with no money and no where to live, she was afraid for your life. She was afraid you might starve or catch a deadly disease. So she left you with me.
"When you were three, I got another letter from her. She said that now, the machines aren't working right, because the robotic computer analysts made one error that fried a whole line of computers. So they re- hired your mother, and gave her a huge salary. She said she wanted him back, but would wait a little while to make sure things turned out OK.
"Well, it was good she waited. After a year working, they got upgraded machines to do her work, so they fired her again. She wondered from city to city for work. Finally, she left for Australia, a mostly animal community, since they didn't use much technology.
"She wound up getting a very good paying job at the hospital to keep their machines working very well. It was the almost only piece of technology, besides the train, they used. This was when you were nine. I knew you would have to go back with her soon. But I didn't say anything. Why? I just wanted to have you as my son. You were the love of my life.
"Well, after you moved out, your mother had stopped sending letters, and decided to start looking for you. She called everywhere, to get tips. She finally got a tip last month that you were here. So she packed up, got ready, and, well, you know the rest." She finished, and sat back in her chair.
"Well, what do I do? She wants me to do move back there with her, but I don't want to leave you here."
"Son, you must do what your heart tells you to do. I have to go now. I will see you in the morning."
Listen to my heart? Likes that's going to do a whole lot of good.
Weeks passed, and after a few days in the hospital, he was pronounced fine and left. That's when all hell broke loose in his life.
*Court Hearing 1*
"All rise before the Honorable Judge Rithop," said the officer near the stand. David stood, and waited. This was his most nervous day of his life.
"Please be seated. This hereby starts the official court hearing for this court session. Prosecution, would you please make your case now."
"Thank you your honor. As you know, this courtroom struggle is for the custody rights of David. My client, Ms. Spring Patricia, wants full custody rights over David. You honor, I'd like to call my client to the stand as my first witness."
"Of course. Bailiff, if you would."
"Of course your honor." He helped Spring up, and guided her to the stand.
'Please put your right hand on the Bible. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Yes."
"Please be seated."
"Ms. Patricia, do you recognize this slip of paper?" The attorney had pulled out a slip of paper.
"Yes."
"Could you tell the court room what this is?"
"It is a birth certificate for David."
"Your Honor, would you please look at this?"
"Yes. Bailiff?"
"Here you are, you Honor."
"This looks authentic. It says that the legal guardian is Ms. Spring Patricia."
"Yes your Honor. Now, Ms. Patricia, why do you want your son back?"
"Because I love him, and I didn't want to originally leave him with her."
"You may now step down. Thank you."
"Defense, please make your case now." The judge shifted slightly in his seat.
"Yes. I would .like to call David to the stand."
"Of course. Bailiff?"
The bailiff guided David to the stand.
"Please put your right hand on the Bible. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"Yes." He replied, in a voice quite unlike his own.
"Please be seated."
"David, how long have you been living with Joanne?"
"Since I was fifteen. I moved out shortly after my fifteenth birthday."
"How old are you now?"
"I am now just over eighteen."
"So, your Honor, I would like to make the point that David is of age where he can choose where to live."
"Very well. Reviewing the facts, I would also agree, that David is now old enough to make his own decisions. David, who do you want to live with?"
David stared at the judge, then down to the floor, On one side was his true mother, wide eyed and hopeful. On the other was his childhood mother, her eyes sad and lost. How would he ever choose. Tears welled in his eyes. He felt tears dribbling down his cheek and onto the floor. He would now have to make the most life-changing decision of all.
*To Be Continued*
