DNA (Do Not Admit)
(Part Four) "Admit": in both senses of the word.
Before I continue on with my DNA story – a note of deep gratitude to followers and also a significant change moving forward. You will notice that you are receiving a preview of part four and that to continue on (for this particular story) – it will require an upgraded subscription. I will still write some free stories, and some stories will have previews as well, but those with previews will need a paid subscription to enjoy in full. There will also be articles solely for paid subscribers.
After today’s installment, The DNA story will be for paid subscribers only! Thank you again for your support!
PART FOUR: DNA (Do Not Admit)
This is part four of a story about unexpected surprises when the DNA kit went on sale Cyber Monday. Want to catch up?
Part One: COMING OUT OF THE DESERT
Part Two: DNA (DO NOT ASSUME)
Part Three: DNA HACKER
DNA: (DO NOT ADMIT)
… And now, a call must be made to Ancestry.
The DNA Hacker had been blocked and I got on with my life. I’m just into the new year of 2024 and I’m not sure where I put that card they give you with the personal ID code. I’ll get to it eventually. Still coming off the “busyness” of the holidays when this whole thing started. Somewhere around a week or so later, managing to rifle through those places you put things so you know where to find them, (you never find them there), I finally find the dang card with the code on it. Yeah, I should probably call and get this thing straightened out. Mostly because I paid for it, and I want what I paid for. I wanna see those aunts and uncles… it they’re there.
To be clear here, I wasn’t asking why I didn’t have any DNA matches (people who are related to me, however distantly). I was asking why the “DNA Matches” button wouldn’t allow me to click, sign in, and access this juicy area of the app, the whole point of spitting into the tube! But ultimately it was a relatively easy fix. Bravo!
Now all I needed to do was log out and log back in.
So I logged out.
I logged in. One more time.
I click the “DNA Matches” button.
This is exciting! Fun!
What will I see?!
Here’s what was presented:
But this is what I saw:
Father.
Along with a man’s name.
Not the name of the man that was supposed to be my biological father.
Breathe. Breathe. What?!
But I had seen this name before. Approximately two weeks ago.
It was that same man. That same name.
THE HACKER! Only… only WAIT! STOP EVERYTHING, WORLD!
The “spammer”. The “hacker”. Who now had to be put in quotes - for now - because this was impossible.
Just. Stop.
Breathe. Breathe. Sinking sinking feelings sinking feelings. Just. Breathe.
He, well… okay so he’s… not… a hacker?
It’s the man that emailed me two weeks ago. (It’s still sinking in.)
Okay so… so he’s not a spammer.
Okay. So…
He’s a man who’s made a mistake! That’s it.
Again I know who my bio-dad is - was - and he’s dead. Dead, dead, dead! So very dead. So, OF COURSE there’s a terrible mistake here.
I take about five minutes of what I reckoned was enough time to do more breathing and unblock the “hackerspammer”. I send him a quick reply to wrap up this nonsense. I was kind and polite, if brief, and, to my thinking, put his heart at rest:
Dear Sir: Thank you for reaching out and making connection, I just want to reassure you, you are not my father. I know who my father was. Rest assured I am not your child. Thank you for your email. Sincerely…
Poor guy’s probably been freaking out for what is now about three weeks! Put him out of his misery.
I reassured him. Now I’ll get on with my life.
THE TRUTH WILL OUT
Another week flies by. And I’m breezing away living my best life. I won’t say I’ve not a care in the world. But this particular DNA story? Not a care. It was a blip. A mistake. And egregious one. A really weird happening. But it’s all in the past now. That little tap tap tap on my shoulder? A mosquito. I’m calm.
Just calm enough for the gauntlet to slam down and the gavel of truth to pound.
Can gavels be nonchalant? Perhaps. Unexpected? Definitely.
The truth will out. But God is merciful. So after some talk about the weather, he whispered in that still small voice…. Well, specifically….
…in a gasp and a groan.
To be continued…