A year after they adopted my aunt, the couple had a child of their own, which caused their feelings toward my aunt to become sour. They began to beat and scold her, fearing that if they raised her, she would compete with their biological child for the family property. Ultimately, they decided to give my aunt to another couple who were childless.
Serenity was outraged upon hearing this. “They adopted your aunt because they didn’t have children, and only had their own after bringing her into their home! Your aunt brought them blessings; they should have treated her with kindness instead. How could they beat and scold her? And then give her away? That’s outrageous!”
“They didn’t fare well in the end. Their child grew up spoiled and led a life of excess. He squandered all their family assets and frequently scolded and beat his own parents.”
Elisa felt no sympathy for the couple’s fate. In fact, she took great pleasure in it.
“Have you found the second couple who adopted your aunt?” she asked.
“We did, but their living situation was poor. They felt they couldn’t afford to keep my aunt and ended up giving her away as well. When we tracked down the third family that had adopted her, we discovered that all of them had died from illness.”
Serenity’s heart sank as she listened.
“I don’t know where my aunt ended up. We finally had a lead, but it led to another dead end. My mom is really down about it. A while ago, my dad and I took her on a vacation to help her relax.”
Elisa returned early because of Zachary, but her father stayed with her mother.
“Now, I’m helping my mom search for my aunt. If God is watching and knows how much my mom still cares about her sister, He will surely help me find her.”
“Yes, you will definitely find her. Maybe your aunt is also searching for your mom. If you share your mom’s and her sister’s story online, perhaps your aunt will see it.”
“She said she would look into it and reach out to you.”
“My mom mentioned that my aunt was too young to remember much about their separation. If no one had told her, she wouldn’t recall anything at all.”