Woman Finds Safe, Sees Why Mom Wears Makeup To Bed
A Shocking Discovery
She canned the paper again, she thought she’d find more names on the birth certificate but what she actually made her stomach twist into a knot.
She pulled out her phone to get some answers. She felt her heart pounding like an Olympic runner going for gold. She thought she had known her mom, but now things were turned on her head and confused her. Who really was she?
From Admiration to Suspicion
The Independent
Gail Lukasik looked up to her mother with her whole heart. She was a kind woman who had her admiration.
But as Gail grew up her mother’s infallible nature came into question as she started to suspect something. But she had no idea what rabbit hole she was about to tumble into.
Gail’s Mother
Credits
Alvera Freric was Gail’s mother. She moved up north from New Orleans and met her father – Harold.
They always told her that their chance encounter was an instant connection – a spark of chemistry. Alvera was always very good to Harold, maybe that’s why he didn’t ever notice the secrets she had?
Mysterious Upbringing
Books Vooks
Alvera was very secretive about her family. Gail asked many times to finally meet them but her mother always said it would be too painful for her.
But Gail soon started feeling that there were other strange things about her mother that she only noticed once she started looking.
Wearing Makeup To Bed
SCETV
“When your younger, you just accept your mom’s quirks and think, well, that’s just who she is, that’s mom,” Gail recalls as she remembered her mother always wore makeup when she went to bed.
She merely explained it as being ready in case she had to go to the hospital in the middle of the best. It would be embarrassing to go out unprepared. At least in her mind.
Sun Shy
BBC
Her mother also always wear gloves and hats to avoid the sun when she went outside. But why the makeup to bed? Things were strange once she thought about it.
Gail soon pieced together that it was something to do with her skin. But what she wasn’t entirely sure.
Getting Stranger
Pexels
Was it a skin condition that made her like this? Was it genetic and did she have it too? And why were there no photos of her old life in New Orleans?
Gail’s curiosity would soon take her over as she started looking around for clues. Then she found a hidden safe in her laundry room. What was she hiding?
The Search
Credits
Gail needed to find the keys to the safe. But she also looked up more about her mother online. She just her mother’s father’s name as a clue – Azemar Frederic.
Gail was close to finding the secret that had been hidden for so many years. Would it be worth revealing to satisfy her own curiosity?
A Birth Certificate
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society
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’
Our Family History
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
Facebook / BBC News Indonesia
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
The Lily
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
Today
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
Discover Lifestyle
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
Geauga County Maple Leaf
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.
