Toothache & a phone call.

Last night I had horrible toothache. My dental surgery is tuesday and I was trying my best to hold out - suck it up. But it was becoming unbearable. I was crying and felt as though I would pass out if I moved. The pain shot up my head and my eyeball felt like it was bulging out.

I paged my dentist. Just to see what they said (I have two dentists, Dr Scott and Dr Crow, luckily they work in the same office.)

I was sitting in my office chair, my elbow on my leg propping up my hand with a "hot-as-I-could-stand-it" wash rag on my cheek. My mom was sitting on my bed, with the phone beside her. She was pensive. Watching me. She always watches me when I’m sick. I think I could vomit, straight on her, and she wouldn’t blink.

About 30 minutes after paging the dentist, the phone rang.

Mom answered it chipper: "Hello?" "Wanda? Wanda Jones?" her smile dropped "Yes. Who is this?" "This is Nick. Nick Daughtery, I heard you were looking for me." "Oh...hi there."

Yep, it was my father.

I watched her face, as it turned pink then white and I knew. I whispered "oh shit." the pain in my face suddenly went away and the wash rag hit the desk with a thud.

He asked her about my Gran, in which she told him that Gran passed away in ’06 from West Nile. "got bit by a mosquito? I hate to hear that, she was such a sweet lady." then my mom said "Well, I have your daughter." he said "I always wondered if it was a boy or a girl. I thought it was a girl." she said "Yea, she’s a girl." to which I jokingly looked down at my slowly fading away boobs. "I’m really, I’m really real sorry for all I did back then, I’m just...I’m just a messed up man..."

He said "Is she smart?" My mom told me later that she was reminded of Forrest Gump. "Yes, she is very smart." "Is she a good girl?" "Yes, she is very good." "Is she pretty?" "Yes, she is beautiful, you would be very proud of her." "I bet she looks like you." "Yea, that’s what we’ve been told." "Well, I’d like to see her, I’d like to see her. You should come to Etowah - I’d like to see her." "Well, we can discuss that later. Let her get a little used to this first." "Yea, yeah, I understand that...yeah.."

Silence.

"Would you like to talk to your daughter?" "Uh..uh...well..well, what do I say?" "Just talk, I guess." "Uh, you think she’ll talk to me?" "I’ll ask her. - do you want to talk to him?" "Sure." "Okay. Nicky - here is your daughter, Tamela."

I said "Hello?" he said "Hello." I said "Hi!" in a typical Tamela-fashion. he said "Hi!" awkward pause - then he said "how’s the weather there?"

Ha ha. It really does make me laugh to myself at how awkward we were. I could tell by talking to him that he wasn’t mentally all there. I could sense nervous energy. Of course, I am unsure if this is actually how he is now or if it was because of the situation.

He told me that he had a black eye. I said "Who’d you beat up?" He said "no no ...no fighting, those days are passed me now, I’m a Vietnam vet - I served my country and I’m proud of those who have served, I’m helping another vet friend of mine remodel his house - so I took a nap on the couch yesterday and had to use the bathroom, but I was so asleep I forgot the bathroom wasn’t there and feel in a hole."

I laughed out loud "Hahahah...clumsy ass." he laughed as well "Now now, don’t make fun of me now..."

I asked him about siblings. He said "you mean like brothers & sisters?" I said "yeah." he said "yeah, yeah, yeah you do...you have a brother and a sister - Jimmy and Angie."

I asked about their ages. He said Jimmy was in his late 20’s (but I think Jimmy is older, in his early 30’s, he was born before I was) and Angie is around 23.

He said "I got your number now, I’ll call - I’ll be sure to call you.."

He talked back to mom for a minute. She told him that we were sending pictures to Jerry. He said he’d call back soon and it was really good to hear from us.

Of course, this could be the last time we hear from him. We just don’t know. But I am satisfied with the info I got.

All within a week, I have two siblings - an aunt (who apparently adores me!) and I have spoken to the father who created me almost 29 years ago.

My aunt Margaret says there has to be a reason why it’s all happening so fast. Johnny said "Yea, life insurance." to which I laughed and called him "wonderfully morbid."

At least he acknowledged that I exist. He never once denied me. If he didn’t think I was his, he never would have called. Ever.

After they hung up, the pain returned and 5 minutes later, Dr Crow called me and told me he was calling something in.

It was like time stopped. The world stopped shifting. And then it resumed.

I’d like to say thank you for all the emails and support I’ve gotten. I have the most wonderful friends in the world. Seriously, I am SO lucky.