Untitled, chapter two

He made up the date: New Year's Eve 1981.

He made up names: Juan Lopez and Alice Alindogan. As he grew the circumstances he invented changed, but those details remained.

When he first learned about the birds and the bees (sixth grade), he stirred up the possible conclusions to which he ended up being born. At first he wanted to believe he was birthed from a long-term relationship. As the years passed, his imagination eventually scattershot into a tree of paths in which his consummation could have been a product of sex-drives, infidelity, alcohol-fueled or just out of boredom.

His adoptive parents, Ivan and Monica Henry, told him that they flew into the Philippines, looking to adopt a child. They arrived at the convent and were briskly introduced to a two year-old Clark Kent sitting idly in the center of a rug and staring ito the ceiling. The nuns had taught him how to speak English and his favorite word was "okay".

Ivan asked hm when his birthday was. Sister Rose answered for him; September 12, 1983. It was the only note left in the basket where he was found.

Clark didn't remember a second of this encounter. His first vivid memory was waking up to an empty house when he was four years old, thinking his parents had abandoned him. He looked everywhere, even in the cupboard.

Little Clark cried for five minutes until his parents came in from the front door, with Rice-A-Roni received from their neighbors. He couldn't recall if this all really happened, maybe it was a dream. Regardless, this was his first memory.

Monica told him that the nuns found him in a basket like in the movies. All that was left was a note with his birthdate and a request: "Forgive me and take care of him, Lord." The whole thing reminded Father Rene of "Superman" and the name Clark Kent stuck. The Henrys liked the name and the story behind it so much they decided to keep it.

Monica and Ivan would joke about how he was from Krypton. When they told him that, Clark imagined a small pocket of the Philippines similar to that distant planet. He imagined his biological father, Juan Lopez, in Krypton with his brothers and sisters, He imagined his mother looking out the window, waiting for Clark's return. He felt guilty of these daydreams because he had loving parents who never abandoned him. He surmised that those thoughts were betraying what he already had. But it never left, it just hibernated.

"We don't need Superman," his mom would tell him. "Clark Henry doesn't need a secret identity."

But for some reason, he was sure his last name had been Lopez.

Roughly 24 years and nine months after his conception, he still imagined their names: Juan lopez and Alice Alindogan. He imagined the date: New Year's Eve 1981. He imagined me and "Alice" at a parking lot of some bar. "Summer Breeze" by Seals and Croft was playing. It lasted four minutes, the song and the lovemaking.

Clark got out of his car and made his way to Andre's apartment.

"I love you," Jose must have said. "Mahal na mahal na mahal kita."

"I love you too," Alice would have responded.

His phone rang. It was his mom.

"I just want to say thank you for having breakfast with us this morning," Monica said. "We don't get to see you often."

"Shit, mom," Clark answered. "It's my birthday. Sacramento isn't too far of a drive. It's my birthday I need to see you guys."

"I love you Clark," she whispered.

"I love you too, mom."