They found him in a car that overturned just across the old bridge. Even though the town was small, there were people passing through all the time. He was a toddler with barely a scratch, but his parents were thrown over the cliff and into the raging river. Their bodies had never been recovered. The town had no choice but to put this little John Doe in the small orphanage that was just on the outskirts of their little city. No one recognized the car or the baby.
Joseph was what they finally called him. He was adopted right away by a nice couple that lived on a small farm just outside the town. He had a good home, but worked very hard from the time he was able to pick up a tool. He loved his parents very much, but always felt like something was missing. He wanted to find out who his real parents were. It was something that had haunted him since they told him the truth about his adoption when he was seven.
Joseph was determined to find his family. Surely, there were others who might be related to him. As he walked down the main street of town, he always felt drawn to this one particular house. He loved nature and it was filled with it. There was a beautiful big porch on the front and he would see a man and woman sitting there everyday. They would wave when he passed. He would see them feeding the squirrels or birds, watching them play up and down their large trees.
As he passed by at the end of the week, he stopped for a moment. He had one thing that flashed through his head when he was sleeping. It was the names Steve and Alice. He had never told anyone, but those names came to mind every single day. Today, the house drew him even more. He felt as if he had been here before. As he opened the white gate, he stepped back in anticipation. He stepped back out of the yard for a moment, but was noticed by the couple working in their garden on the side of the house.
"I am sorry," He waved his hand. "I just wanted to see your beautiful trees."
"Well, come on in, son," The man smiled, widely. "You are welcome to see anything you would like."
He was a kind man with a gentle smile. The lady smiled toward him, as well. They offered him a glass of ice tea and he accepted. As they sat on the porch, they began to talk about nature. It was always his favorite subject and never bored him. He learned from their conversation that they had a son who lived in Africa. They spoke of him with pride. He was some kind of scientist and lived in Africa.
Joseph noticed that the woman looked sad as she spoke. The man even seemed a little down as he spoke of some of his son's adventures. He wondered why, but continued to sip his tea and listen to their stories.
They had visited their son in Africa a few times, but they never explained whether he was still there or not. They poured him another glass of tea and continued to admire his love of nature. The woman stared at him, but he assumed it was just because they did not get very many visitors. As he sipped his second glass of tea, he stood up to look at some sparrows that landed on the rail. He was amazed at how close they came to him. He noticed the woman reaching out and the birds eating from her hand.
"Can I do that?" He asked. She did not reply, but handed him a handful of feed. He slowly moved his hand toward the birds and was amazed that they ate from his hand, as well. The couple seemed amazed, too. They finally asked his name. He replied, "Joseph Barns."
"You just live up the street, don't you?" The man asked. "We see you everyday after school. We always hoped that one day you would stop in."
"Yes-sir," He hesitated. "What is your name, sir?"
"Oh, We are Mr and Mrs. Cornell,"He shook Joseph's hand. "Nice to meet you, Joseph."
"Nice to meet you both, sir,"He smiled, widely. "I really love your house and all the trees. It makes me feel peaceful."
"My son use to say the same thing,"He chuckled. His face seemed to turn gray as he said this. Joseph felt like there was something sad in their lives that they hated to mention. He wanted to ask, but felt that it would be rude.
Joseph stopped by their house almost every single day. They would laugh and tell jokes and watch the animals. They also had a an old yellow dog that sat between the woman and man. It took to Joseph right away. He loved his visits, but his mother was growing suspicious when he arrived late from school all the time. She finally told him that he had to come straight home. For some reason, he kept his little visits a secret from everyone.
"I want you home right after school,"His mother demanded. She was pregnant again and a little grumpy. She was usually kind and gentle except when she was first pregnant. He already had three brothers and sisters. He loved them very much, but was never as close to them as they were to each other.
"Mama, please,"He pleaded. "I just stop and watch birds and squirrels and stuff."
"Why?"She seemed desperate to know. He wondered if someone had seen him and told her where he was going each day. "Listen, honey, I just worry about you walking to and from school by yourself."
"Aw, mama, it is real safe here,"He hugged her. "You know that. What is really wrong?"
"You are so smart for your age,"She smiled. "I am sorry I snapped, but I do worry. You rarely play with your brothers and sisters. You are late almost every day from school. Please, tell me, what are you doing after school?"
"I just love animals and trees,"He smiled even wider. "Don't worry. I am careful."
"I know you are,"She patted him on the back. "Okay, well, just be careful in that park. It is very old."
He did not deny that he was going to the park, but he knew he should have told her the truth. He headed for school, excited that it was Friday and the weekend was coming. He usually would sneak over to see the Cornell couple and stay even longer on Saturday. Sometimes he would even visit them after church.
After school, he ran all the way to the couple's house. He was out of breath when he arrived. Mrs. Cornell fixed him a glass of tea quickly and told him to catch his breath. He sat down and sipped the tea, slowly, trying to speak, but having a little trouble breathing. He finally was able to speak.
"I am sorry,"He apologized. "I was just anxious to see you."
"You see us everyday," Mr. Cornell chuckled. "We are always glad to see you, too."
As they talked that day, Joseph heard Mrs. Cornell speak her husband's name. He stared at her as if he had seen a ghost. His name was Steven. He finally explained why it had shocked him. He began to pour his heart out about his parents and the accident. They stared at him in amazement. They asked his age and gasped as he told them that he was nine.
They started telling him how their son was supposed to be coming for a visit about six and a half years ago, but never showed up. They even flew to his home in Africa, but no one knew what happened to them. Joseph's eyes widened as they told him what their son and his wife's name were. They were Steven and Alice Cornell.
Joseph looked up to see his mother standing in the walkway. She had evidentially followed him from school. She had heard the conversation and realized that this was the family that Joseph had been looking for all of his life. This was the link to his past that he needed. She was elated for him. As they welcomed her onto the porch, she realized why Joseph fell in love with them.
They all shared Joseph's life from that moment on. It was not hard for all of them to become one big happy family. It seemed that they all fit together like a puzzle. Joseph was the happiest boy around. His life was no longer full of missing links. He had finally found the right one.