A Shocking Discovery
She read the birth certificate, hoping to find more names but what she found instead made her jaw drop.
Immediately, she ran to the phone and dialed the town’s information office. Her heart pounded as they confirmed her suspicions. The woman she knew to be her mom all of her life suddenly morphed into someone else completely. Who was she?
From Admiration to Suspicion
For Gail Lukasik, there wasn’t a woman in the world who was more beautiful than her mother. With a kind heart and a glamorous appearance, Gail always admired her.
But it wasn’t until Gail grew older that her admiration for her mom’s glamorous habits suddenly turned into suspicion. It was then that she decided to try to find out the shocking truth.
Gail’s Mother
Gail’s mom was a woman who went by the name, Alvera Frederic. She left New Orleans when she was young and moved up north where she met her future husband, Harold.
Gail remembers her parents describing their meeting as love at first sight. Their relationship was filled with love and affection, and Harold loved to make Alvera laugh. Perhaps it was his love for her that made him turn a blind eye to her secrets.
Mysterious Upbringing
No one in the family knew anything about Alvera’s family. Whenever Gail would ask her if she could meet them, Alvera would simply reply that it would cause her too much pain to see them.
It soon became clear that a mysterious upbringing wasn’t the only unusual thing about Gail’s mom.
Wearing Makeup To Bed
“When your younger, you just accept your mom’s quirks and think, well, that’s just who she is, that’s mom,” Gail said as she was explaining that her mom would always wear makeup - even to bed.
When she asked her mom why she said she did it in case she got sick in the middle of the night and had to go to the hospital. In her mind, looking your best would get you better treatment. But then Gail noticed something else.
Sun Shy
For as long as Gail could remember, her mom also always avoided the sun. She’d often wear big hats and gloves when she went outside. Was she allergic to the sun? But then what would explain why she wore makeup to bed?
Gail knew that whatever the cause of these strange behaviors was, it had something to do with her skin.
Getting Stranger
Did her mom suffer from some kind of skin condition? If she did, why didn’t she just tell her? Was it genetic? Is that why she didn’t share any family photos or visit them in New Orleans?
Gail’s curiosity to get to the bottom of her mom’s odd behaviors got the better of her and she went into full detective mode. That’s when she discovered her mom's safe that hid in the corner of the laundry room.
The Search
While Gail searched for the keys to her mom’s safe, she also searched for more information about her mom’s family online. All she knew was her grandfather’s name; Azemar Frederic and his location.
It wasn’t a lot to work with but it was enough to get Gail one step closer to revealing the shocking secrets her mom kept from the entire family.
A Birth Certificate
When Gail distilled all the information online, she eventually found something; his birth certificate. Her eyes scoured over the screen reading the information on the document.
She wanted to find more names of people she could search to get an idea of who to call family and how to contact them. But as she read the birth certificate, she found something that made her jaw drop.
The Letter ‘B’
There, beside her grandfather’s name, was the letter, “B”. She opened another tab on her browser to clarify what that meant. Her mind raced with questions.
Immediately, she called the birth certificate’s help center to confirm what she had just discovered. The nature of her mom’s secrets was taking an unimaginable turn. Gail had to open that safe.
Moment Of Truth
A few weeks passed before Gail finally found her mom's key. It was in her purse in her handbag. It made complete sense to keep it there and the guilt Gail felt taking it from her was heavy, but this was no longer just about her mom. This was about Gail too.
It felt like her mom was keeping her from understanding her own identity. After all, knowing where you come from is at the core of knowing who you are.
Inside The Safe
Without hesitation, Gail opened her mom’s safe and peered inside. Inside, she found some money and an envelope.
Gail immediately reached for the envelope. It was exactly what Gail hoped she’d find; her mom’s birth certificate. She pulled the official document out from its cover. Her heart pounded nervously.
More Mysterious Letters
Beside her mom’s name, were the letters “col”. Gail’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. What was going on? Gail quickly took a picture of the document on her phone and put everything back as it was, including the keys.
Once again, Gail called the help center and asked them to explain the letters “col”, on a birth certificate. Her eye’s widened as everything finally clicked.
Secret Keeping
Gail’s mom always wore light-colored foundation and always kept out of the sun. She kept her birth family hidden from her own family and friends.
When Gail confronted her, she denied everything before finally admitting to her background. She asked Gail to keep her secret until she passed. For 17 years, Gail did exactly that. But why?
Old Mindset
When asked about her father, Gail replied that he was a man of his generation who grew up in the ’50s. Like many people at that time, he lacked the open-mindedness and acceptance the world embraces today.
Her mom knew that and feared the repercussions of revealing her true identity to her husband. Gail opened up about her mom’s story after her parents passed and it took the world by storm.