Recharge reunites mother, daughter
Chennai, Jan. 26: A "mobile phone recharge" helped reunite an India-born teacher from Belgium with her biological family after 28 years. The teacher, a young lady, has also learnt that she is actually younger than the 34 years she believed herself to be.
The filmy-style reunion happened after Ester, also known as Gomathy, decided to step into a mobile recharge shop in Chennai’s Wallajah Road run by businessman and social worker Bhavanesh, who became curious at her striking Tamil looks. "When I started talking to them, I found Ester was sent to a Belgium-based adoption agency in 1982 by an orphanage here," said Mr Bhavanesh.
Over the next few days, Ms Ester and her friend Delphine tracked down the orphanage run by Pastor Mani, who had sent her off to Belgium. "Through the pastor we found out that my mother and elder sister were living at Thirumalaivoil in the western suburbs," said Ms Ester.
But when Ms Ester met her biological mother, Mrs Susheela, 56, a domestic worker, on Marina beach about three weeks ago, the young teacher fled the scene as her mother’s scarred face terrified her.
But horror turned to pity after she realised that Susheela’s husband Subramani had set her ablaze after which she had handed over her four-year-old child, Gomathy, to the pastor. "I have been weeping over my decision ever since," Mrs Susheela told this newspaper. Ester also learnt that she was actually younger by two years than what she believed her age to be because the pastor had added two years to her age while arranging the adoption. "I thought I was 34, but now I learn I am 32," she said.
Age Correspondent
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