My Adoption Story Part 8: I Have a Biological Brother?

In the midst of my journey writing my adoption story, I made a mistake. A MAJOR mistake. It’s almost funny to write about but also an important lesson for anyone going through their own adoption journey.

It was the week of March 9^th and as I was writing one of my previous blog entries, I got out all my adoption paperwork to take a picture for the blog. In doing so, I stumbled across various documents that I had seen before that were written in Spanish. Previously, I had dismissed these documents because I couldn’t read them. Yet, after my trip to Colombia, I had become really comfortable using the Google Translate app. One of the features of the app is the ability to scan a document written in a different language with the camera. Not thinking anything of it, I decided to get out my phone and try the app on these documents.

One of the documents, entitled, “Instituto Colombiano De Bienestar Familiar” was the first one for me to scan. As the app started to translate the document, nothing was really standing out. But then, I noticed a line I hadn’t seen in any other document that caught my attention very quickly. It stated the following:

“Tiene otro hijo de 7 añosde edad, el padre del niño la abandono al enerarse del embarazo de Abelardo.”

Translated, that says, “She has another 7-year-old son, the boy’s father abandoned her when she became pregnant with Abelardo.

I looked at the translation again. Wait, does that say she had a 7-year-old son at the time? Do I? no?!?! That couldn’t mean what I think it means. I looked at the translation again.

I then texted a girl I met in Colombia, asking if she could translate this document for me. She was sleeping so I had to wait until the following day for her to translate. That night, I kept wondering, could this be true???

The next morning, my friend translated the document and she confirmed what the Google Translate app had told me the night before, that I had a biological brother who was 7 years older than me.

I was shocked. I was excited. I was surprised. Many questions popped into my head. How was this not in any other document? Is he still alive? Did he have a different father? What does he look like? WHAT IS HIS NAME?!?!?

I texted my family, letting them know the information I found. I texted a couple of friends. I couldn’t believe it. If this document is accurate, I have a biological brother. A BIOLOGICAL BROTHER. What a moment.

Sadly, without knowing any other additional information, I am at a dead end. I don’t have his name. I don’t have his birth date. I don’t have any information other than that he is 7 years older than me.

Will I ever find this brother? I hope so. Will I ever meet this brother? Some day.

I’m a believer in fate. And when the time is right, I’ll be able to share a new blog entry with my biological brother.