It was in the evening that first contact was made with my birth uncle. While I chose to have someone close to me make the contact I was right there. I could feel my heart beating and my chest was tight. I was apprehensive and was worried that I would be ultimately humiliated.
I got my cigarettes and a glass of ice tea. I sat at the dining room table while the call was placed. My mind was racing and I got up from the table and started pacing. What would he say? Would he believe us? What if he wouldn’t talk to us?

Finally, someone answered the phone and I heard my friend say “Hello. Is this Jimmy?” He said it was and my friend told him her name and proceeded to tell him about me and why we were calling.

The phone call ended by my birth uncle requesting photographs of myself be sent to him. We sent them Fedex and he had them the next day. My friend called him once we knew he had the envelope and it was proof for him that I existed. In fact, he said to my friend, her sister looks like her mother but she is the spitting image of her mother. He asked for some time and wanted to think over how to proceed.

A week later, he phoned my friend and I was able to talk to him. He actually offered me anything that I wanted to not contact my sister. He would meet with me and give me whatever I asked for but I wasn’t to contact my sister.

After finding a grave, I had a gut feeling that this man would try and stand in the way of my sister and I knowing of one another. When he made his offer, I simply said, I can’t promise that but I can promise that I will contact her. I can’t tell you when. It may be a day from now, a week from now, a month from now, or a year from now, but I will contact her.

I tried explaining to my birth uncle that I didn’t want to disturb anyones life or cause any trouble. I just needed information about who I was.

It was one week later when my birth uncle told my sister about me. He shared the photographs and after a couple of days of letting it sink in, she called me for the first time. At the age of 23 I was talking to my birth sister for the first time in my life. We went on to talk all night long. Neither one of us wanted to hang up. For me I didn’t want to break the connection I had finally made.