The Red Thread Of Destiny Tightens

“And, it is. Finally. It is. [the adoption of a Chinese baby].

He sits on the bed and repeats the information the agency representative is telling him so I can write the answers.

“Girl,” he says, “Normal health.”

“Birthday,” he says. Then he stops, even though I’m sure the agency lady is telling him something I should be writing down.

He draws a deep breath.

“She is 2 years old,” he says. “Her birthday is September 27.”

He is stunned by this information. Because his mother, who died last year, was also born on September 27.

It takes him all the composure he has to listen as the agency lady tells him the child’s name and which province she is in.

He looks at me and points to the date I’ve written on the paper.

“Red thread,” he whispers, “This is our red thread.”

The lady says she’s sending him pictures by e-mail. Then the call is over, and my husband and I …”

We met in my building elevator two weeks ago and had a conversation for the first time. I realised I’d last seen her two years ago and, at that time, assumed she was just visiting. As it turns out, she’s been living only several doors away from me.

That was on the Monday and by Friday, I came across her in a company I’ve visited regularly for several years. She also works there but I never knew.

Our working hours are substantially different so the chances of meeting are quite rare; hence not having seen her for two years. However, in the last two weeks, we’ve had chance meetings every few days.

This morning, for example, she popped into my head in terms of  ’I wonder what time she actually does leave for work’ and there she was as I turned around. I told the story to a friend and this prompted him to joke that it was if I was stalking her!”