The American had never seen his own mother in his life and could not find her. Both the authorities and private detectives were powerless, but a chance meeting with a stranger helped to contact her. And it happened on the eve of the woman’s birthday, the only gift for which for her would be a reunion with her lost son.
Bruce Hollywood, a 59-year-old US Army Colonel from Vienna, grew up in a military family, Edward and Eleanor Hollywood. He always knew that his parents were not his relatives – the Hollywoods were Europeans, and Asian origin was clearly visible in their son, and the spouses themselves did not hide that they had adopted a child, writes GoodNewsNetwork.
Foster parents have repeatedly offered Bruce to find his relatives and were even ready to pay all the necessary expenses for this, but the guy refused. He was happy in the family and for most of his life did not think at all about his origin.
But everything changed in 2005, when in the evening after work, Bruce went to the Pentagon parking lot and, before reaching his car, collapsed on the asphalt with a heart attack.
This is how it ends, Bruce thought.
On the way to the hospital, Hollywood had time to think about his life and realized that he could only regret two things: he did not have time to help his son prepare documents for college admission and never saw his own mother. He knew little about the woman: that she lives somewhere in Japan, her last name is Ouchi, and she gave him up for adoption in 1960.
As soon as Hollywood recovered from the attack, he began searching for his mother. Bruce originally planned to send her a secret letter in case she didn’t want anyone to know about her son’s existence. The man was going to tell Ouchi what a wonderful life he had and that he didn’t blame her for anything.
I have lived the best life possible. I am a colonel in the US Air Force, I have wonderful children. Everything is very good, Bruce wanted to write.
The man contacted the Japanese embassy, but was told that there was not enough information to find his mother. The same was answered at the US Embassy in Tokyo. The private detective hired by Hollywood did not help either.
I thought I tried my best and failed, but at least I tried,” Bruce said.
The year 2006 has come, and Bruce has already come to terms with the fact that he will never find his own mother. He continued his work and, going to a military conference in Germany from Dallas airport, he went to a bar, where he met another military man, Admiral Harry Harris. The men got to talking and found out that they had a lot in common. Harris said that his own mother is also Japanese, and then Hollywood shared his story.
I told him about the heart attack and wanting to find my mom, and he said, “Bruce, I can help you.” I didn’t believe it and said: “You know, of course, you are an admiral and all that, but you can’t. I’ve been to the embassy, I’ve tried everything, and there’s nothing you can do.” But he insisted: “You know, Bruce, I can seriously help,” Hollywood said.
Bruce gave Harry all the information he knew about his mother and foster parents, but did not hope that he would really be able to find out anything.
However, just ten days later, Hollywood received a call from the Japanese embassy.
Colonel Hollywood, we are very pleased to inform you that we have found your mother, Nobu Ouchi,” said the embassy official.
Excited, Bruce began to ask the interlocutor to help him write a letter for his mother, but he said that he would not do this for one simple reason.
There will be no letter. She will call you at this number in ten minutes. And yes, she doesn’t speak English. Good luck!
In a hurry, Hollywood found an interpreter on the Internet and put him on the phone with her mother as soon as she called. Nobu cried, so did Bruce. They vied with each other in their own language and did not understand each other. The interpreter then took over and explained why his mother was so nervous.
Tomorrow is her 65th birthday, and the only gift she has dreamed of all her life is that you will find her,” the translator said.
It turned out that Nobu, after giving Bruce up for adoption, never had any more children and never married.
There was only room in her heart for one man
