第9章 The Embassy of Hope

When Mark was five years old,his parents divorced.He stayed with his mother,while his father enlisted in the armed forces.As Mark grew up,he occasionally had recollections of the brief time he had with his father and longed to see him again.But as Mark became an adult,the thoughts of his father began to subside.He was now more into girls,motorcycles,and parties.

After Mark graduated from college,he married his high-school sweetheart.A year later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

One day when Mark's son was five years old and as Mark was preparing to shave his face,his son looked up at him and laughed,"Daddy,you look like a clown with that whipped cream on your face."

Mark laughed,looked into the mirror and realized how much his son looked like him at that age.Later he remembered a story his mother had told him of him telling his father the same thing.

Mark began thinking about his father and started asking his mother.It had been a long time since Mark spoke of his father and his mother told him that she had not spoken to his father in over twenty years and all her knowledge of his whereabouts stopped when Mark became eighteen.

Mark looked deep into his mother's eyes and said,"I need to find my father."His mother commented that his relatives had all passed away and she had no idea where to begin searching for him but added,"Maybe,just maybe,if you contact the United States Embassy in England,they might be able to help you."

Even though the chances seemed slim,Mark was determined.He called the Embassy.

"U.S.Embassy,how may we help you?"

"My name is Mark Sullivan and I am hoping to find my father."

After a long pause,the receiver asked,"Is this a Mr.Mark Joseph Sullivan?"

"Yes,"Mark said anxiously.

"And you were born in Vincennes,Indiana,at the Good Samaritan Hospital on October 19，1970?"

"Yes."

"Mark,please don't hang up,"the man made an announcement at the embassy."Everyone listen!...I have terrific news...Lieutenant Ronald L.Sullivan's son is on the phone...he found us!"

On this instant,Mark heard a roar of a crowd clapping,cheering and laughing.

The man returned to the telephone and said,"Mark,we're so glad you have called.Your father has been coming here in person or calling almost every day for the past nine years,checking to see if we found you."

希望大使馆

马克5岁时，他的父母分道扬镳。他和母亲一起住，父亲应征参军。马克逐渐长大，他偶尔会想起与父亲一起度过的那段短暂岁月，渴望再见到父亲。但是，马克成人后，他对父亲的思念开始淡去。他现在关注更多的是姑娘、摩托车和各种聚会。

大学毕业后，马克娶了中学时那位情人。一年后，她生了一个健康的男婴。

马克的儿子5岁那年，有一天，马克正准备刮脸，儿子抬起头看着他笑道：“爸爸，你脸上涂着生奶油像个小丑。”

马克哈哈大笑，望着镜子，意识到儿子看上去多么像那个年纪的自己。稍后，他记起了母亲曾对他讲过他也对父亲这样说过。

马克开始想自己的父亲，也开始询问自己的母亲。马克很久没有说起自己的父亲了，母亲告诉他，她有二十多年没有跟他父亲联系了，她对他父亲行踪的了解还停留在马克18岁那年。

马克凝视着母亲的眼睛说：“我要找到父亲。”母亲说父亲的亲戚都已经去世了，她不知道该去哪里寻找他，但又补充说：“也许，只是也许，如果你联系一下美国驻英国大使馆，他们说不定能帮助你。”

即使希望渺茫，马克还是下定决心，给大使馆打去了电话。

“美国大使馆，你需要我们如何帮你？”

“我叫马克·沙利文，我希望找到我的父亲。”

过了好一阵子，接电话的人问道：“是马克·约瑟夫·沙利文吗？”

“是。”马克不安地说。

“那你是1970年10月19日出生在印第安纳州温森尼斯市乐善好施医院吗？”

“是。”

“马克，请不要挂断，”那个人在大使馆宣布，“大家听着……我有惊人的消息……罗纳德·L.沙文中尉的儿子正在与我通话……他找到了我们！”

顷刻间，马克听到了电话里响起了众人的掌声、欢呼声和笑声。

那个人回话说：“马克，我们非常高兴你打来电话。你的父亲在过去9年里几乎每天不是亲自来这里，就是打电话来，询问我们是否找到了你。”