Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Finding Michael - The End


The Six Carnival Children in 1964
From Right to left: Eva, Josefa, Sonja, Michael, Carmen, Franz


I called the sisters again after Christmas. Carmen felt strongly that she needed to see him before writing to him. Josefa hadn’t written, because she didn’t know what to say and it felt funny to her. Eva had gotten my message too late, but she promised she’d write him soon.

We all agreed no to tell our mother, who is now 91, about the fact that we found Michael. Carmen thought it would unnecessarily upset her, and Eva and I agreed that if Mother knew Michael was found, she wouldn’t let it rest. She’d contact him somehow and would tell him something like how he hurt her and how she suffered when he became addicted. Josefa also agreed that mother shouldn’t know.

We never told Mutti, and we all went and visited with him before I returned to my home in the United States.
***
I’m proud of the man Michael has become. He has survived some really bad times, all by himself, he has caught himself and cleaned himself up from things that often kill, and he’s working on improving himself physically and mentally. And what more can a person do? I just hope the rest of the  family will let bygones be, and be as proud of our baby brother as I am.

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