The Call That Changed Everything

Ringgggggggggggg!

Hello, this is Shulammite speaking. Who am I speaking with, please? This is Elon Musk...

This was the call that changed my life forever.

I woke up this morning, a bit tired from yesterday's activities, wishing for a few more hours of rest, but it was already 8 a.m., and I was running late for work.

I hurriedly got out of bed, rubbed my eyes, and headed outside to perform my chores before leaving for work. I started by sweeping the compound.

As I swept, I felt the urge to listen to music, so I played some and continued sweeping. However, endless calls kept interrupting my music. I kept ignoring and ending the calls, but the caller persisted. Out of frustration, I picked up and shouted, "Can you quit disturbing my music?" and ended the call. But the caller wasn't having it; he kept calling and calling. My mom came out and asked if I wouldn't calm down and find out who was calling at such an early hour and why the person was calling.

Defeated, I tried to fake calm and picked up the call. "Hello, this is Shulammite on the line. How can I help you?" I said.

"This is Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla," he replied.

Those words annoyed me, and I burst out in rage, thinking it was another scammer trying to trick me. "You dare not call this line again," I said, switching off the phone. But the caller kept calling and even sent messages.

I picked up the last call and paid rapt attention to clearly decipher whether it was truly Elon Musk.

"Hey, I know this might sound like a scam or a joke to you, but this is truly Elon Musk. If you don't mind, we can have a video chat. I have something important to tell you." I couldn't wait for him to finish; I immediately switched the call to a video chat, and it was truly him. I was too stunned to speak. "Good morning, sir," I stuttered.

"Good morning to you," he replied.

Without wasting time, he said, "I have something important to share with you."

"You see, years ago," he began, "your mom used to be my high school sweetheart, and we became lovers after high school. We attended the same university, and we were so close that people literally thought we were lovers.

One time, her parents couldn't pay her accommodation fees, and she was kicked out of the hostel, so I suggested that she come stay with me until her parents could pay up. She agreed, and we started living together. One night, we were heavily drunk after attending a school party, and one thing led to another. We had sex, and a few days later, she found out she was pregnant. I was willing to take responsibility, but your mother was very bitter and angry. She cursed me, saying I ruined her life, and moved out the next day back to her parents' house. That was the last time I heard from her, as she blocked my number, and her parents forbade me from visiting."

"I tried everything I could to reach her, but all attempts failed. After my university graduation as the overall best technical engineering student, a tech company from the USA picked interest in me and decided to sponsor me abroad to come work with them."

"On the night before my departure day, he continued, I tried everything humanly possible to reach her, but it was a failure. Sadly, I departed the next day. I spent five years abroad, and out of those five years, I used two years to build myself and my company worldwide."

"After spending about 20 years abroad, I decided to come back and look for your mom to beg for a second chance. On returning, I heard from a trusted source that, while I was away, your mom gave birth to you, got married, and hasn't given birth to another child, which implies you are my child."

"I decided to move on and mend my broken heart, but I felt you should know. I reached out to her last week; we reconciled, and she agreed I should tell you about this."

I was too stunned to speak. "I understand how you feel," he said, "but know I'm always a call away whenever you need me. I'm sorry for being away for so long." With that, he ended the call.

I managed to stand and go to my room, as I felt very weak. As I turned to leave, I saw my mom behind me with tears in her eyes. We simply hugged each other. "I'm sorry," she muttered. She led me to my room, and I fell asleep immediately.

Five days later, I was ready to meet my father in person for the first time. "How do I look?" I asked my mom.

"You look great, darling," she said. "But I feel nervous, Mom. We're literally talking about the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX," I replied.

"Don't worry; you'll be fine, darling," she said.

As I stepped out of the house, my heart was racing with a mix of excitement, nervousness, and curiosity. I couldn't believe that I was about to meet my biological father, and not just any father, but Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. The car he sent to pick me up arrived, and I got in, trying to keep my composure.

The drive to our meeting place felt like an eternity. Thoughts raced through my mind. What would he be like? What would we talk about? Would he be proud of me? I couldn't shake off the feeling of being a part of something much bigger than myself.

Upon arriving at the designated location which was his office, I took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. There he was, Elon Musk, waiting with a warm smile on his face. He extended his hand, and I shook it, feeling a mix of awe and gratitude.

"Hello, Shulammite," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

"Hello, Mr. Musk," I replied, my voice slightly shaky. "The pleasure is mine."

We started talking, and surprisingly, the conversation flowed naturally. Elon shared stories about his experiences, his vision for the future, and his passion for technology and space exploration. He spoke about his dreams and ambitions and encouraged me to pursue my own passions in life.

As we spent more time together, I realized that he was just a person, a father trying to connect with his long-lost child. He was genuinely interested in getting to know me, my dreams, and my aspirations. I felt a sense of belonging and acceptance that I had never experienced before.

In the days and weeks that followed, Elon Musk or rather my father and I spent more time together, building a relationship that I had missed out on for so long. He became not just a distant figure but a mentor and a guide, offering advice and support as I navigated life's challenges. He introduced me to the world of technology and innovation, encouraging my curiosity and fueling my desire to learn.

My relationship with my mother also improved. She shared more about her past, her love story with my father, and the challenges she faced as a young mother. We grew closer as a family, healing the wounds of the past and embracing the newfound connection we had with my father.

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