The Greatest Coincidence

• Amaya Liyanage, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2020

As I buttoned up my shirt, I thought about my friends back at home. I missed seeing them, but we moved for a reason and that was because my mum got a promotion here in Victoria. I was happy for her, but I never wanted to move in the first place. We had to leave everything behind in Sydney. When I finished getting dressed, I rushed downstairs, grabbed my bag and walked straight out the door.

I walked whilst thinking about what it was going to be like. Everything was new. New school, new home, new town. As I got close enough to see the school my stomach started feeling weird. I ignored it and continued to walk until I finally reached my classroom. Kids were already sitting down, I quickly rush and sit next to a random boy. As I unpacked my stuff onto the table, the teacher came in and then suddenly I got a strange feeling.

He continued to walk up to his desk. He started to talk about this school and more until he introduced himself. I gasped. He had the same last name as me. No one I knew ever had the same name as me. This wasn’t the only thing that surprised me because he looked very similar to me. Small nose, same coloured eyes, big ears. His name was Mr Gadsby and my name was Alex Gadsby. I kept thinking that this must all be a coincidence. My mum was a single mum ever since I was little. She always said that I look just like my father. I sat there feeling anxious, but curious at the same time.

When Mr Gadsby finished talking, he started to call out the class roll and when he reached my name he looked straight at me. His face was full of shock. He started coming up to me and he said “ I have never met anyone with the same last name as me. ” Then the whole classroom went silent. He walked back up to his desk and continued to call the roll, but I could see something was bothering him.

Hours went by and all we did was the typical first day of school activities. The day had come to an end and the bell started to ring. My mum told me she was going to meet me in my classroom because she wanted to meet my teacher. I waited in the office until she finally arrived. When we went to my classroom, both my mum and Mr Gadsby looked up then gasped in confusion. I knew right then that they knew each other somehow. I waited outside the class until they finished talking.

Then they both walked out of the room. “Alex, I know this is hard for you, but this is your father.” said my mum gently. I was in complete disbelief. After all these years I waited to meet my father and I finally did. This was the happiest day of my life!