A Decade On, the Vanished Woman Reemerges, and Her Unbelievable Story Finds Few Believers

Paperwork Her documents were nowhere to be found. Her hiding skills were so good that she didn't even remember where she had put them. “Aha! That's right! In the pillowcase," she suddenly recalled, packing up her last personal items. She would be picked up by her husband any minute. It was imperative that she appeared normal. She couldn't be suspected of anything. The time was right. Unknown Pexels She had a heart of gold, a great deal of intelligence, and a great deal of beauty. Her husband Dennis was a loving husband and she was a stay-at-home mom to their twin daughters Alicia and Ava. They all grew up in Austin, Texas. They seemed like the perfect family to her, and she had everything she wanted. The truth about what was happening in their home was unknown. Sudden Doctor's Appointment Pexels Barbara asked Dennis to drop her off at her doctor's appointment one day. Inquiring about her well-being, he found it strange that she had made such a sudden appointment. With a smile, she replied, "Just a regular checkup." Although unsure, her husband didn't argue. In accordance with her request, he drove her into the city. Goodbyes Pexels Barbara looked nervous when they arrived at the doctor's office. He asked worriedly, "Are you sure you don't want me to come along with you?" She simply replied, “You don't have to follow Me around all the time, Denny, I'll see you later” The woman's husband stared at her confused as she closed the car door. She walked away as he watched. Then she turned around and looked at him again. She smiled when he waved at her. Neither of them knew it would be their last goodbye. Gone Forever Pexels Upon returning an hour later, the doctor informed him that she had left 30 minutes previously. The search for her in the town was futile, and Dennis found no trace of her. She had vanished without a trace. Dennis spent months searching for her, but he was unable to do so. Missing persons reports were filed, but they yielded no results. The search turned up a few leads, but she wasn't the one. Disappeared Pexels Despite Dennis' best efforts, they couldn't locate her for months. The local authorities in neighboring towns couldn't find her either, and it appeared that she had disappeared. It was hard for Alicia and Ava to cope without their mother after she disappeared. Where did she go? Going On With Life Pexels Dennis eventually remarried after moving on with his life. They never forgot their mother, even as they grew up without her. Her whereabouts and fate would often be a source of mystery for them. Ava and Alicia were only 11 when the incident occurred. Depressed and desolate, they felt hopeless. Their young lives have already been deprived of so much. Hopes were high that someday things would be different. Despite seeing the changes taking place within their family, they were too young to do anything about it. Moving On Pexels The years passed, and Barbara was no longer in their lives. A second child was born to Dennis after he remarried. As they grew up, Alicia and Ava got married. Their mother remained in their thoughts even after they had children of their own. Her abandonment always haunted them, and they wondered why she left. It was unclear whether she was even alive, yet she had made the decision to leave. The Old Lady Approaching Pexels It was just about time for Alicia to leave her house in the morning. Her attention was drawn to the driveway when she saw someone approaching her. Having a baby in the car made her nervous, since she didn't recognize the person. In order to get a better look, she squinted her eyes. She was definitely being approached by the person. An old and tired woman with pale skin and a lost look approached us. She looked old and tired. Who Was She? Pexels As soon as Barbara saw the woman's face, she no longer felt scared. “May I help you?” She approached the old woman. She just stared at Alicia for a moment, surprised that she spoke to her. When Alicia approached, she asked, “Ma’am are you okay? Can you hear me?” A scared woman opened her mouth to speak, but burst into tears instead. Should She Call Authorities Pexels It surprised Alicia and she wasn't sure what to do. In an attempt to see who else might be around to witness this, she glanced around, but no neighbor was there. “Is everything okay with you, Madame? Are you in need of assistance?” As Alicia approached the crying woman, she looked into her eyes. When she did, something tugged at her heart. Is This Really Happening? Pexels Alicia was faced with the mysterious bag lady. The clothes she was wearing were worn out, and she smelt unclean. She had long, unkempt hair. She appeared to have been through a lot. Alicia was taken aback when the lady began to cry and fell to the ground. Her ears quickly registered that she had heard that cry before. Although she had not heard it for quite some time, she was certain it was the same. She recognized it as her mother. Going Through The Most Pexels Despite her raggedness and filth, Barbara hardly resembled the woman who had vanished so many years ago. Alicia was the first of her daughters she sought out, but she wasn't sure what to say when she encountered her. It was hard for Alicia to accept that the woman in front of her was her mother. Her heart changed when she hugged the woman anyway. Could This Be Possible? Pexels Following a decade in Paris, Barbara suddenly returned to America. Seeing her mother on the ground, her daughter picked her up. Could this have been possible? "Mom, you're still alive after disappearing for ten years," said her daughter. Alicia, who was married and had her own child, the woman had been fortunate to have found her daughter. Without A Doubt Pexels She thought she was delusional when she saw a ragged, dirty woman approaching her. There was a good chance that she would have called for help. The lady, however, made her feel something special when she hugged her. The lady said, "Ma Cherie Alicia," in French. There was no doubt in her mind that it was her long-lost mother. Cruel Prank Pexels It was a shocking and overwhelming experience for Alicia. Her mother was taken to her father for advice. He must be able to tell whether the lady is really her mother. His immediate reaction was to reject the idea that the woman he was seeing was his wife. Considering it a cruel prank, he was afraid of getting hurt again. Convincing Them Of The Truth Pexels It stunned Alicia. Her father seemed to have closed that chapter of his life off when she took Barbara to him to figure out what to do next. After a moment, the lady spoke and said, "I apologize that I said you were always following me around Denny. I didn't see you later." That was the last thing she said to him that day at the Doctors' office. Upon seeing his long-lost wife return, Dennis was shocked and overwhelmed. The fact that she had returned angered him at first, but eventually he came to terms with it. Could They Really Believe Her? Pexels Angry, Dennis demanded to know why she hadn't contacted them for so long and where she had been. In spite of Alicia's best efforts, her father remained skeptical. All these years, Barbara hadn't spoken about where she had been, and she wasn't eager to tell her daughter where she had been. In order to make her mother comfortable, she brought her home. Expectation vs. Reality Pexels Dennis visited his wife the following day. In order not to upset his current wife, he told Barbara he was remarried and hadn't told her yet. It looked like Barbara was sad. Her mind wandered. It may have taken her seventeen years to realize she had arrived too late. Having waited so long, what did she expect? How about a welcome party? In order to protect herself, she had to tell the truth. The True Story Pexels Barbara opened up about being kidnapped and held hostage in Europe all these years when Dennis asked her where she was. Without any identification on her, she found it difficult to return. She was stranded abroad. Ever since then, she had lived there, trying to stay alive and return to the U.S. Unbelievable Pexels Immediately, Dennis called her out, "that's a lie Barbara, how could that be possible for seventeen whole years?" You had your handbag with you, why would you lie about such things?” Taking a deep breath, the old lady said, "I was helpless, I didn't have anything. You didn't even look for me!” It was just then that Alicia was getting emotional when there was a knock on the door. Knock On The Door Pexels There was a visitor. From New York, Ava had just arrived. “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” she said as she removed her expensive sunglasses. She said as she approached her mother in her classy New York way. As he looked at his daughter, Dennis said, "Be nice, Ava. She is, after all, still your mother.” Hi, mother, what brings you here?” In Her Pocket Pexels She put her arms around her mother and walked up to her. After holding her close for a long time, she let go. In the pocket of her mother's jersey, she felt something hard as her fingers brushed against it. In an instant, she reached inside and pulled out her mother's old ID card. “What is this then?” her daughter asked, “The text clearly states Barbara Hancock, United States of A-m-e-r-i-c-a.” Her spelling was slow and dramatic in order to convey her message. “No ID, mom?” her daughter mocked her in a cocky way. More Lies Than Truth Pexels Her twin handed Alicia the faded card. “Mom, what's going on? Tell us the truth, please!” She begged her mom to tell them everything. The card in Alicia's hand was grabbed by Dennis. "I took you to get this exact social security card, Barbara, what's the honest truth? What made you leave us? Where were you for seventeen years?” The woman remained silent. Contradicting Pexels It took Barbara a few days to open up to Alicia. Her departure was due to complete dissatisfaction with her life. Feeling trapped in her life, she needed a change, as she felt suffocated and trapped. In order to start over, she bought a fake passport, arranged to be taken to Mexico, and caught a flight from Mexico to Paris. Traveling the world and experiencing new things had always been her dream. That's exactly what she did, and she never looked back. Wrong Crowd Pexels As a result of her involvement with the wrong crowd, she was forced to work for the mafia in order to stay in the country. Her escape from Paris was risky several times due to a big mistake she made. Her return was made possible by contacting the American Embassy. Aside from being relieved that her mother was safe now, Alicia was saddened that she had had to deal with all of that alone. No one, including her father, would know her mother's secret. Building Their Relationship Pexels There were many hours spent talking and catching up between Barbara and Alicia. Her grandchild was also introduced to Barbara, and she was delighted to hold him. It was hard for her to believe that it had been so long since she had seen her daughters. It was hard for her to shake the feeling that something was still missing from her life, despite the love she had for her family. Alicia was bittersweet when Barbara returned. Seeing her mother again brought up many old wounds, but she knew it would be a bittersweet reunion. Her mother's departure would never be forgiven by her father. Taking It Slowly Pexels Her father refused to speak to Barbara after Alicia tried to persuade him. Her leaving without explanation had still hurt and angered him. Neither he nor his life needed to be disrupted by her excuses. In spite of her understanding of her husband's pain, Barbara hoped one day he would forgive her. Her decision to leave without saying goodbye had hurt him deeply, and she regretted it even moreso. Over time, she hoped he would realize that she had never stopped loving him and their daughters even though she had to leave. Amends Pexels Although Alicia and Ava were shocked when their mother returned, they were overjoyed to have her back. All they cared about was having her back in their lives - not why she left or what she had been doing for the past seventeen years. Having caused them so much pain, Barbara apologized for what she had done and promised to make amends. As for her mothers' words, Ava didn't believe them before she saw them. Life Lessons Pexels The road back to Barbara's family wasn't an easy one, but with time, she was able to start afresh. The experiences in her life taught her to appreciate them and not take them for granted. There would be many stories told about Barbara's disappearance and return in the years to come, but for her daughters Alicia and Ava, the most important part of the story was the fact that their mother was finally home. Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

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