Everybody, Always

to be able to be a biological father in the future. The kind of restoration
needed for those missing body parts was simply beyond anyone’s medical
capability.
I hesitated after seeing how involved the surgery would be but finally
had to ask, “Randy, what would the operation cost?” I was guessing
millions. Without skipping a beat, Randy looked up and said, “I’ll do it
for nothing.”
I can afford nothing, I thought. But there had to be a catch, right?
While Randy might waive his fee, what about the nurses and equipment
and all that stuff? It turned out there’s a fantastic organization that helps
cover the costs of these kinds of operations. Knowing I wouldn’t be hit
unexpectedly with a crazy bill, I got another plane ticket and headed back
to Uganda to find Charlie in the bush in Northern Uganda.
Once I had him, he packed a few things, and we got in the car. Our
first stop was the courthouse in the capital. A short time later, we stood
before a Ugandan high court judge and I became Charlie’s legal guardian.
Charlie’s father had long since abandoned him and was nowhere to be
found. His mother, a peasant woman, had distanced herself from Charlie
as well. I’m not judging them in this; it’s just a fact and not uncommon,
unfortunately.
When we got to the airport, Charlie stared out the terminal window
without saying a thing. He’d never even seen an airplane before. I tried to
explain the whole idea of going into the air and how safe it was, but he
wasn’t buying it. After a little coaxing and a couple of candy bars, we got
on the plane and flew to London. When we arrived, we were holding
hands as we got off the plane. Charlie asked, “Father, can we just walk
the rest of the way?” I can imagine how he must have felt. I broke the bad
news to him about the Atlantic Ocean and polar cap we were about to fly
over. I tried not to freak him out, but I think I did again.
Once inside the terminal, I opened my laptop to see if I had any
urgent messages. In my inbox was an email that stood out. The title was
simple: it just said “White House” in the subject line. I have many friends