THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A grown-up man returning in search of his roots is a dramatic storyline for a film. And it gets better if it involves a boy who was adopted from the government system to a foreign country coming back for a better grasp of the early years of his childhood?
Heartwarming moments unfolded when two-year-old Chand, who was adopted by American citizens with Malayali roots, retraced his roots as ten-year-old Colin to the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare facility on Wednesday — but this time with his adopted parents and brother.
It was in 2018 that Sabu Varghese and his wife Leena adopted Colin, who was received at the Ammathottil facility here. Their first child, Aiden, was adopted from a children’s home in Puducherry in 2014.
“We never kept their adoption from them. It was our children who insisted on seeing the place where they initially grew up. We cannot offer answers for the gaps in their own story. It is for them to see and form their own ideas,” the parents told TNIE. “We didn’t know what to expect from the trip,” the couple based in Texas said before leaving with a happy heart.
A few years after a failed pregnancy, Leena and Sabu decided to adopt kids. Upon being asked why they decided to adopt from India, Leena said they wanted their children to feel part of the family in every way. “We see families in the US. There is still some stigma attached to adoption, even there. We wanted to take a decision that would not pose many questions,” she said.
Though Colin walked in with circumspection, his familiarity to those around helped him break the ice. “When I saw him step into the office, I knew it was distinctly Chand.
He was such a good boy with a peculiar gait. Even though he has changed a lot from the toddler he was, our love for him remains unchanged,” said a caretaker who took care of him when he was under the council’s protection.
Spending his vacation in a unique manner, Colin said he feels good to be in Thiruvananthapuram. “I even interacted with the kids who are currently here and played peek-a-boo with them. Some of them even became overwhelmed on seeing us,” said Colin.
The family will also pay a visit to the children’s home in Puducherry from where Aiden was adopted. “I am a bit nervous. I don’t know how it is going to be,” Aiden said.
Taking inspiration from their parents, the boys said that they too would want to adopt children in the future, if they do get married. “Just like our parents, I think we should also give another child a new life,” said Colin.
Taking part in the birthday celebration of one of the children at the facility, the family said their goodbyes after spending more than two hours there. Their eyes wide with mixed emotions, Colin and Aiden bid farewell to council officials.
Beyond questions, Colin can consider himself lucky to have the chance to rekindle the love of his first family.
