Jon thought that it was his imagination. He was mad on his parents right now, yeah there was no doubt! But was he really so mad on them that he wishes himself another mom out of nowhere?
He would never dare to. And why he should wish himself a woman from, another country? Jon was still so buffed that he could respond to this. It honestly sounds like a bad joke.
Jonathan took a moment to take a closer look on the woman. Blonde, curly hair that looked like his. Brown eyes, slender body, and an expression as if she saw a ghost. And this woman just told him that she is his mother…
"Boshe moi… you really look like you father! "
Jon felt that he had to say something. He knew a thousand reasons why this couldn't be true… otherwise…?
"Ehm… excuse me, what?" was everything he was able to say.
"I know, it might sound weird for you." She continued, trying to remain calm and deescalating. "Please let me explain…"
"Ehm… I have a twin brother…" Jon said.
"Please, let me explain…" the woman continued.
She opened her purse and put out a letter to give it to Jon. He took it and saw that it was a letter from Metropolis General Hospital. But the letter was written in a language, Jon was not able to understand.
"What is this meaning?" Jon asked now much more confused than before. It was not Russian. It looked like Italian, or something similar.
The woman struggled for composure. A tear ran down her face.
"In December 2006, I and my husband moved from our home-country Moldova to United States. I was pregnant and we figured out that, babies that are born in USA become American citizens. We hoped to be able to stay here. Moldova is beautiful country, but jobs are not paid good enough to have good life. I gave birth to my son Aleksandr, on 3rd of May 2007 at 10:45."
"Ehm… I was born on that day, too." Jon murmured. But he had no clue which time. His parents may tell him once or twice and he tried to remember the time… something in the late morning?
The woman presented him a birth certificate…
"He, he was brought to examination… but… 6 hours later, there were suddenly complications and later, they said, that… that he suddenly stopped breathing. He was only 8 hours old, when he died."
She starts to cry. Jon felt sorry for her. He remembered how much his mom cried when she told him about her Natalie. His mom lost her Natalie before she was born. And this woman lost her child just hours after it was born. He felt so sorry for her.
"I am sorry, to hear that ma'am. But…"
"I got this letter. They wrote to me… that there was an error! There were multiple children switched and… o boshe… your face… It is you… It must be you! He was very sporty, too."
When she went closer to put a hand on his cheek to feel his face, Jon shied away scared. He feared the worst. He felt sorry for her, but it was absolutely impossible that she is his mother, he thought. His mother is Lois Lane and his father is… his brother is… ohh…
The woman put some photos out of her purse to show them to Jon.
"You got face of your father…" she said.
Jonathan saw the photo and could feel his heart dropping. What he saw was absolutely impossible, but he saw it: That was him! He literally saw himself on this photo!
It was older. It starts to become yellow and it was not the best quality. But it showed himself, in a suit, that looked like a school-uniform. His haircut was different from his, but it was the same color. And it was his face. The same face he sees everyday in the mirror. This was so scarry. If this is a fake, it was the best fake he ever saw. But it was no fake.
Jon's body suddenly felt so weak and heavy, while he carefully took the photo to take a closer look on it. There was something written on the backside. But Jonathan was not able to read it. It looked like a date. And the year was 1988.
"This is from first of September 1988 year. That was his first day in tenth year of school." She explained, presenting him the next photo. From their marriage!
Jon was shocked again. Seeing 'his wedding'. With the woman in front of him (just younger), wearing a white dress. In the background various people and some musicians. A happy party, with a lot of happy people.
"Ehm, Ma'am I don't know what to say…" Jon murmured overwhelmed.
The woman presented him the medallion, she was wearing and opened it. It contained some blonde strands of hair.
"These are hair from my son! After I got letter from hospital, I made a test. In laboratory in Kishinjov… ehm… Chisinau in your language. And test said, no relative. My baby, I had to bury on cemetery, was not my baby." She explained, her eyes filling with tears again. "One month after death of my little Aleksandr, American authorities said we must leave country. Because Visa were not valid anymore. Because that, letter arrived me not."
A letter. If she got a letter, so his parents must have received one, too. If he got switched at birth? Why his parents should hide it… well, they hid a lot of things from him and his brother.
"Your father and I… we had trouble after returning to Moldova. I went to work in Turkey and your father went to work in mine in Russia." She told and began to cry again. "There was… terrible accident in mine. He did not make it out on time…"
"Oh, I am so sorry…" Jon felt so sorry for her. Shortly after loosing her son, she was forced to leave the USA and then she lost her husband. But suddenly he starts to think about her words.
"I start to research. I was there and you were here… And I had hope that you live and here you are…"
"Ehm, Ma'am I am sorry. I don't… I mean…" Jon was confused. He had no clue what to tell her. He felt sorry for her, yeah. But he couldn't tell her that it was impossible because his father is a Kryptonian. Otherwise, had ne no Kryptonian traits. This was so confusing. "…what… I mean… Why are you here? Why do you think it is me?"
She took something out of her purse again. It was a photo of the football-team from Smallville High School.
"This is from newspaper from Transnistria. That is small part of Moldova that wants to be independent. And there was big reportazh in this newspaper. About this town. About attack from planeta of Superman… I saw you and I saw it is you…"
A thousand thoughts shoot threw Jon's head. About the possibility and the pro and con of her theory. She was obviously a lonely and desperate woman, looking for answers. And he could barely imagine how she must feel.
"…I took credit for plane-ticket and bought visa for entry and I came here to find you."
Jon shied away when she tried to hug him. He was scarred.
"Ma'am please I…"
"Don't call me Ma'am… call me Mama…"
"Oh, ehm… Ma'am… I don't know… Listen, I have a twin-brother. I can't be your son…"
"We make test. Please…"
"NO!" Jon feared to say it, but he did. Sure, she had a lot of reasons to think that he is her son. The similarity between him and her dead husband is incredible. But if he is… his father is still an alien, and he is… not like him or his brother. His grandfather said once he looks like him. But does his grandfather have relatives in 'Where-she-comes-from'?
"No?" she asked sad.
"No! I mean… no… not what you think! I am sorry… but… my parents prohibited me to talk to foreigners."
"Please, I need answers." She begged and grabbed his hand when he turned away. "I know, a woman from former Soviet-Union coming from out of nowhere, telling American boy things… but I need to know."
Jon looked on her. She was a bit older than his parents. She travelled around the world just to come here to this Podunk to see him. For some reason he felt responsible for her. She was alone in a foreign country. Far away from home. He wished to know what to say to her. But he had no clue. He couldn't tell her the truth and he also suddenly felt some kind of connection to her. It was a feeling he couldn't describe.
Just an hour ago, he was mad on his whole family for being who they are. Now he had no clue what to feel now about them. But suddenly Jon heard the familiar clatter of his father's truck in the distance…
"My father is coming!" Jon said. The woman turned around to see the old pick-up truck approaching in the distance.
"I be in town till next Saturday!" she said, giving Jon a note with the address of a motel and a room-no. And a Note with various words Jon was sure were places in her homecountry. "Please think about it!"
Suddenly she rushed to get away. Jon mentioned that she had to overcome her fears when she talked to him, but she was not ready yet to talk to his father. She hid her face, with her hand, to avoid that he sees that she cried.
Clark stopped next to Jon, just a second before the woman turned her car into reverse and turned around to get back to town. Jon looked after her and had no clue what to think about it.
"Jonathan are you okay?" his father asked, politely as always threw the open window.
Jon looked down, opened the door, and sat down next to his father silently. Waiting for the moment he tells him that everything the woman said is not true, proving that he spied him out again.
"Jonathan, I know you are mad! But believe me you mother is much angrier on herself! You know she didn't mean it like that!"
Jon looked on his father. Something was different. For years, every time he looked on his father, he saw a family member he trusted. But something changed. He had a totally different feeling right now when he looked on his father: Doubt!
To answer his father's statement, Jon let out a short: "Hmm!" and shrugged.
"I know you went out to run a little bit, but you forgot your phone at home and your mother is worried. Let's drive home…" he said, turning the car back to get to the farm.
There was an awkward silence in the truck. Clark mentioned that something was bothering his son. And it was not the fight with Lois, he had just an hour ago.
"Who was the woman?"
"Hmm?"
"The woman you talked to. In the white Ford."
"Oh, she…" Jon was afraid to tell him the truth. "…just asked for the way to New Carthage!"
"But New Carthage is in the other direction!"
"Maybe she wants to get to the gas station before?" Jon said. A little bit shocked about how easy that lie came out of him.
"Hmm… you're right! It's a long way."
Jon thought about it while they drove over the narrow roads back to the farm. Looking on the wide fields with crops and plants. The man next to him planted most of it. Doing his best to keep the farm alive. He had a connection to this place. For his father, this was his home. No matter if he was born on another planet.
Jon on the other side, never felt like beeing at home here. He was born and raised in Metropolis. In the past, the farm was just the place his grandmother lived in. Jordan always liked it more. It was so quiet here. For someone, whose superhearing caused him to hear voices, this place was of course more fitting than a loud city. He on the other side, saw nothing more than a stayover in this place. Till today, he felt not home here. That urge to return to the city was there till today.
Now, everytime he arrived on the farm, he felt kind of like being placed wrongly.
Now, after his conversation with that women, this place felt more foreign than ever before.
Clark parked the car on its usual spot and when they left it, Lois came out of the house. Her face full of guilt and shame she gave her son a tight hug and apologized again for beeing so mean earlier.
What followed was an awkward silence during dinner and Lois mothering of Jon. After finishing, Jon went straight to his room to think about what happened.
Everything felt so wrong. Of course he felt sorry for that woman but he knew that he it was impossible that he is her son. Otherwise… was he not so sure about beeing partly Kryptonian at all…
Downstairs, bis parents meanwhile talked about him…
"He didn't say a single word during dinner. I knew it… he's still mad on me." Lois wailed, sitting on the couch next to Clark.
"That's not true, Lois." Clark comforted her. "I think something else is bothering him."
"And what?"
"I'm not sure. But what ever it is, I am sure that it has nothing to do with you."
Upstairs, Jon continued…
For some reasons he didn't get it out of his head. And he remembered some events from his past…
The many times, people didn't believe him that he and Jordan were brothers. The one time, someone said to their mom, that he does not look like her child. Than there was the recently obvious…
His father being Superman, his brother being able to do incredible things… And Jonathan was barely able to keep in shape. Since the reveal, he felt like his body was going to become weaker and weaker. Remembering the evening, he yelled on his father that this town is his Kryptonite… Maybe it was not the town? Maybe it was his situation?
He is blonde! The rest of the family is dark-haired. He was always social and confident, while his brother was closed off and quite timid. He was struggling with the move, while the rest of his family didn't. He is human, while the rest of his family (except his mom) is Kryptonian. Could there be a chance that…?
Downstairs, his parents continued talking about him…
"He has definitely your bravery and compassion!" Lois said with a smile. "How he helped that boy, despite how much of a hard time he had given him since we moved here."
"Yeah… and the typical Lane stubbornness." Clark added.
"Hey!"
"I am just saying!"
"Things seemed to have come easy to him!"
"Yeah… but it's different now…"
"Clark, I know you always say, the boys are perfect just the way they are. But… do you sometimes wish him to have more Kryptonian traits or powers?"
"Oh… gosh, that was what Edge was talking about…" Clark suddenly remembered.
Upstairs, Jon remembered the day, their parents told them the truth…
Nearly every kid on this planet, would love to have Superman as his dad. But Jon knew now what came with it. His mothers sentence… that they expected his athletic skills to be from his father and his heritage…
For a short moment, he was astonished. For a very very short moment, he thought that he could be like his father. When he was younger, he and his friends loved to play Superman! Or watching him on TV or on photos. Asking themselves how it is to be able to fly or to be so strong or invulnerable? Or how cool he looks in that suit, with the cape and the boots. Today he was not able to imagine himself in such an outfit…
Could that be a proof that the woman was wrong? His parents never received a letter from the hospital. If yes, they would have told them, right? But would it mean that his mother lost another child? And if not… well it would not be the first time, their parents hide something from them…
He couldn't tell them what happened! He felt so sorry for the other woman, that he was not able to break her trust by telling his parents. Was that his kindness, everyone praised so much? Maybe! He was afraid to tell his mom that she probably lost another child! But maybe she didn't? Maybe Jordan's actual twin was somewhere out there and had no clue. Gosh if that one suddenly shows powers, too what happens to him?
He couldn't believe it: He is really doubting everything! His life, the people he lives with… Is his name really Aleksandr? Is he really of Russian heritage? Well, Russian heritage is better than Kryptonian heritage, these days… Or where does she come from? It was not Russia… Former Soviet-Union, she said… Moldova?
His head hurt terribly. He felt dizzy and his whole body ached…
Downstairs, Clark confessed something to his wife, he hoped to spare her with because he knew it would turn her mad…
"Your 'wannabe-brother-self-declared-world-ruler' said what?"
Clark told her that Edge, during one of his visits to his cell to interrogate him, once said that Clark 'unconsciously' would 'prefer' Jordan over Jonathan, as Jordan was the one developing the powers and Jonathan was too much human to be a dignified legacy of the Kryptonian race.
Clark thought that he only said that to taunt him. But now that he thinks about it…
Beeing Kryptonian has nothing to do with powers. They were just a side effect. Beeing Kryptonian was so much more. But did he really unwillingly excluded Jonathan from it just because he doesn't have powers? Or they just haven't show up yet?
Jonathan never cared for powers. Thinking that they would just force him to hide who he really is.
He was a bystander. Not more! At home, in school, in the football-field… when John-Henry occupied their barn he felt better around him than with his own family… was that a sign… a sign that he is actually fully human and not of alien-heritage like Jordan…
In the lliving-room, his father was thinking about Jonathan and his possible frustration about the whole powers' thing.
"I shoud have taken him to the fortress, too. I mean, we told them at the same time. He must really think that we leave him out sometimes."
"Clark, I'm sure if that would be true, he would have said something."
"Lois, he has your stubbornness … I don't think he… AW… I shoud talk to him. I need to clarify that now!"
"Clark, wait… Don't forget that he has my family's stubbornness…" Lois said, holding Clark's hand. "He will not agree it if you ask him. But I think… you are right with the other thing…"
Upstairs Jon remembered some events in the past year…
His father did not become assistant coach, to support him. It was to 'babysit' Jordan. He was no help, when they used their powers to repair the truck, he damaged. He could imagine that every human parent on Earth would want the child who caused the damage to repair it. He wasn't taken to the fortress and get told more about his heritage… he was… the human-one…
Jon woke up from his lethargy when his father knocked on the door and entered with his common friendly smile.
"Jonathan, I have surprise for you…"
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