When Mark was five years old,his parents divorced.He stayed with his mother,while his father enlisted in the armed forces.As Mark grew up,he occasionally had recollections of the brief time he had with his father and longed to see him again.But as Mark became an adult,the thoughts of his father began to subside.He was now more into girls,motorcycles,and parties.

After Mark graduated from college,he married his high-school sweetheart.A year later she gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

One day when Mark's son was five years old and as Mark was preparing to shave his face,his son looked up at him and laughed,"Daddy,you look like a clown with that whipped cream on your face."

Mark laughed,looked into the mirror and realized how much his son looked like him at that age.Later he remembered a story his mother had told him of him telling his father the same thing.

Mark began thinking about his father and started asking his mother.It had been a long time since Mark spoke of his father and his mother told him that she had not spoken to his father in over twenty years and all her knowledge of his whereabouts stopped when Mark became eighteen.

Mark looked deep into his mother's eyes and said,"I need to find my father."His mother commented that his relatives had all passed away and she had no idea where to begin searching for him but added,"Maybe,just maybe,if you contact the United States Embassy in England,they might be able to help you."

Even though the chances seemed slim,Mark was determined.He called the Embassy.

"U.S.Embassy,how may we help you?"

"My name is Mark Sullivan and I am hoping to find my father."

After a long pause,the receiver asked,"Is this a Mr.Mark Joseph Sullivan?"

"Yes,"Mark said anxiously.

"And you were born in Vincennes,Indiana,at the Good Samaritan Hospital on October 19，1970?"

"Yes."

"Mark,please don't hang up,"the man made an announcement at the embassy."Everyone listen!...I have terrific news...Lieutenant Ronald L.Sullivan's son is on the phone...he found us!"

On this instant,Mark heard a roar of a crowd clapping,cheering and laughing.

The man returned to the telephone and said,"Mark,we're so glad you have called.Your father has been coming here in person or calling almost every day for the past nine years,checking to see if we found you."

希望大使館

馬克5歲時，他的父母分道揚鑣。他和母親一起住，父親應征參軍。馬克逐漸長大，他偶爾會想起與父親一起度過的那段短暫歲月，渴望再見到父親。但是，馬克成人后，他對父親的思念開始淡去。他現在關注更多的是姑娘、摩托車和各種聚會。

大學畢業后，馬克娶了中學時那位情人。一年后，她生了一個健康的男嬰。

馬克的兒子5歲那年，有一天，馬克正準備刮臉，兒子抬起頭看著他笑道：“爸爸，你臉上涂著生奶油像個小丑。”

馬克哈哈大笑，望著鏡子，意識到兒子看上去多么像那個年紀的自己。稍后，他記起了母親曾對他講過他也對父親這樣說過。

馬克開始想自己的父親，也開始詢問自己的母親。馬克很久沒有說起自己的父親了，母親告訴他，她有二十多年沒有跟他父親聯系了，她對他父親行蹤的了解還停留在馬克18歲那年。

馬克凝視著母親的眼睛說：“我要找到父親。”母親說父親的親戚都已經去世了，她不知道該去哪里尋找他，但又補充說：“也許，只是也許，如果你聯系一下美國駐英國大使館，他們說不定能幫助你。”

即使希望渺茫，馬克還是下定決心，給大使館打去了電話。

“美國大使館，你需要我們如何幫你？”

“我叫馬克·沙利文，我希望找到我的父親。”

過了好一陣子，接電話的人問道：“是馬克·約瑟夫·沙利文嗎？”

“是。”馬克不安地說。

“那你是1970年10月19日出生在印第安納州溫森尼斯市樂善好施醫院嗎？”

“是。”

“馬克，請不要掛斷，”那個人在大使館宣布，“大家聽著……我有驚人的消息……羅納德·L.沙文中尉的兒子正在與我通話……他找到了我們！”

頃刻間，馬克聽到了電話里響起了眾人的掌聲、歡呼聲和笑聲。

那個人回話說：“馬克，我們非常高興你打來電話。你的父親在過去9年里幾乎每天不是親自來這里，就是打電話來，詢問我們是否找到了你。”