Facebook Family Discoveries

That evening after they’d returned home Trisha poured out her thanks to Anthony and Marion Sykes for all they’d done not only for her but her birth family as well. It had been a revealing afternoon, and she had a real glow of acceptance having met her brother and heard what had motivated her being separated from her father and brothers. She desperately wanted to meet with her other two brothers Stanley and Max, and their families and Bill had given her their links on Facebook. Trisha had never been interested in social media sites like these as she had other interests and thought spending hours on social media was a waste of time. Now she hastened to her room after wishing her parents a good evening and headed for the laptop sitting on her desk. She viewed instructions Bill had given her and began to install Facebook on her computer. By the time she’d gone through all procedures for getting that set up it was very late, and she realized she needed to be up early next morning to get the train to work. She quickly went through her pre bedtime procedures then set two alarms as she usually did to make sure, she was up early enough to exercise and have a quick breakfast before Marion drove her to the Hornsby suburban rail station. Tomorrow evening she’d familiarize herself with Facebook and attend to requesting to be friends on her brother’s pages following links given her on Sunday.

But Monday proved to be the beginning of a very difficult week requiring she spend evenings preparing for presentations and schedules to deal with difficulties encountered in her work and she completely forgot about social media. It was only on Thursday when she happened to share the journey to Sydney with her cousin Marcus again and they were discussing their happy time together the previous Sunday she realized she hadn’t made the connection with her other brothers. It was not until Saturday as she was able to relax, she determined to work on that reunion and requested connection from the two sites given her by Bill. She expected an immediate response, but it was not until Sunday as she was attending to routines of the house acceptance came through with a long message from each saying how delighted they and their families were to make the connection for the first time since childhood. They could hardly wait to find a time when they could arrange a common vacation time to make a person-to-person connection somewhere. She suddenly developed an interest in keeping up with family this way and checked exhaustively through all the family pictures on pages of Marcus, Bill, Stanley and Max. It was obvious their wives were the main contributors to these pages, and she keenly studied pictures of those wives and children wondering if she’d be as close to them as she was with Susan and Angelina.

As she became more familiar with how Facebook operated, she noticed the daily lists of people recommended to her as people she may know and want to connect with. Some of them were connected to her brother’s pages and Facebook picked those friends up at random to recommend but there were others that obviously had nothing to do with the family or anyone else she knew in her work or from university days. She realized she could spend a lot of wasted hours checking all these people out so determined she’d only stick to family connections unless it happened to be a work colleague and limit her time on social media, so it didn’t affect her work or socializing with her parents Anthony and Marion who delighted so much in her company. Despite that resolve she did scan those recommendations quickly whenever she searched for the latest from her brothers there on Facebook.

It was several weeks after that wonderful reunion at Marcus Granger’s home she turned on her laptop to check on her family for the week and scanned the recommended list of people she may want to connect with. She let out a cry of surprise as she scanned the list of recommendations. She was looking at her own picture but the person in that picture which she quickly checked on the about menu had an entirely different background and lived in Adelaide capital of another state. Marion was just coming into the house with Anthony from working together in their garden and Trish heard the door slam as they came into the house, so she got up and sped to meet them.

“Do you have time to see what I found? I wonder if someone is trying to impersonate me because they have my picture up on the screen and their name is Trisha Barnard, but they come from Adelaide. My picture and my first name. Something fishy about this.”

Anthony followed Trish to her study room and peered at her computer scanning all the details with a practiced eye.

“Unlikely to be a hacker or she’d have an account under your full name, but same picture and first name is a bit more than a coincidence. I’ll have the private detective we use at the office check out her background but strange that she’s been on Facebook much longer than you by what I just read so she could be looking on you as the hacker. Anyway, best we check her out. You’ve only just put your picture up on the web and she’s been using the same picture for a couple of years now. Says she’s a nursing student and she’s younger than you Trish.”

That was the topic of conversation as they ate their evening meal together and Trish determined to ask Marcus about the strange coincidence when she met him on the way to work again. It was several days before she was able to do that, and Marcus had no idea who this person was and just put it down to a strange coincidence.

A week later Anthony returned home from the office and reported what the private detective had learned. Len Barnard the father of his daughter Trish was a businessman in Adelaide whose wife had died and left him with two sons to care for. Len had met a woman who was one of the room cleaning staff in King’s Cross Sydney at a hotel and got to know her over several of his trips. He’d offered her employment in Adelaide where his business was, and they eventually married after her divorce came through. It so happened in her previous marriage she’d been called Sheila Mason. So, Trisha Barnard was Trisha Sykes’s stepsister.

Trish wept at the news. It was bad enough her mother had deserted her when most needed as a child, but she’d substituted her abandoned child Trisha Mason with another one called Trisha Barnard. So, in some twisted way her birth mother must have had some feelings for her or why did she name her child with this man Barnard after her. It was heartbreaking and she hesitated to share this with the rest of her rediscovered family members. Marion was there to comfort her as she always did and eventually Trish calmed down, and Marion steered her to the bedroom talking softly to her as she sat by the bed until Trish was fast asleep and didn’t emerge until just before the evening meal. She’d put this behind her but hoped that picture did not come up again on the recommended list to bring back this sad memory.

Eventually Trish did confide this to Susan who with her family were now regular visitors to the Sykes household and Marion often looked after the two children while Marcus and Susan had time for an evening together by themselves. From Susan the news went to Marcus and then to her brother Bill and from him to the rest of the brothers. This was a surprise to the whole family, and they were having a hard time coping with this revelation.

Finally, Stanley who worked as a mining engineer in the Northern Territory and visited Adelaide regularly on business decided to check this stepsister out privately. He checked out Len Barnard’s business and found he was considered a respected pillar of the community. His sons helped in their company business office, and Stanley checked on student nurse Trisha Barnard and found she was a private person who was diligent in studies and nursing practice work. Then he looked for evidence of his mother Sheila shaking with emotion as he watched her at work in her front garden. It was a beautiful house in an upmarket suburb up toward Mount Lofty where the rich lived and she was now grey haired but looked affluent in her designer outdoor clothes and very healthy. Not like the haggard cleaner from those old days he remembered. He walked past slowly wondering if she’d recognize him now, he was much older and well-built from his time around the mines. She looked up as he slowly passed and smiled but there was no recognition, and he passed on in tears. That trip would haunt Stanley for some time after his visit. He was erased from his birth mother’s memory.

Stanley shared this stressful experience with the rest of the family, and his elder brother Bill advised him to put the experience behind him and move on. The Masons had each other and had reconciled with their sister Trisha looking forward to the remaining brothers who had not met her yet renting a holiday set of cabins in Port Stephens where families could have interaction together but have a private cabin to retreat to. The cabins were close to the beach which would be ideal for all and welcome for the children. Anthony Sykes who owned a holiday home there had facilitated the bookings as it would be near impossible to get a booking for so many people around Christmas the most convenient for all to come together as a family when most business and industry took a pause to celebrate the Christmas season. It had been difficult to get that booking but the owners owed Anthony Sykes a favour for legal work he’d done for them to get a favourable ruling in present owners favour in a family dispute over ownership in a divorce situation. Each family had negotiated with their respective employers or trusted employee to keep things going in their absence. There was much excitement as weeks were counted down to Christmas.

The vacation together was a huge success. Trish got to meet her other brothers Stanley and Max along with their wives and families. They showered her with gifts and love as they celebrated Christmas together and she revelled in all the attention she got from her brothers and their wives and children.

Stanley had met an Indonesian woman whose family had been domiciled in Darwin the Northern Territory going back in history when aboriginals traded with the tribes in East Indonesia and some Indonesians had settled in the Northern Territory and people of Australian aboriginal extraction had been settled in Indonesia for centuries before the arrival of the Europeans in Australia through those ancient trading arrangements. Stanley had met her when taking leave from the mines in Darwin where Meilani Santoso worked as a receptionist in the hotel he frequented when on leave. They had three children energetic and intelligent. Meilani was in the process of furthering her education and had chosen to move into social work when the children had grown to maturity so there was an instant bonding with Trish who loved her work and was delighted to share what she knew about the profession.

Max the youngest of the brothers was more introverted than the others but excited to be reunited with his sister. Fortunately, he’d married an extrovert, and she was the life of the party organizing the children in their day’s activities. Her name was Lydia, and she was of the Greek family Raptis who owned several Greek restaurants in Perth Western Australia the city where Max worked for a public accountant office. He’d been transferred to Perth by the head office of the accounting practice located in Sydney where Max had started as an intern while he completed CPA exams. It was there in Perth he met Lydia who worked for the same firm and had her CPA qualifications too. Max was considered in line for a partnership and had adored Lydia from the time he first encountered her as they had to work together on audits. Lydia was aware of Max’s infatuation with her, and he was her image of one of the Greek gods so she did her best to encourage him to declare his interest which was quite apparent to the partners and staff but while competent with their clients interacting with them without reservation he was reticent to declare his love for her and she became increasingly frustrated at this situation.

Finally, as they finished one of their audits in one of Perth’s industries, she confronted Max on the way home after they’d been working together for two years. She told him she knew he loved her, so it was time for him to ask her to marry him. The way she told the story was hilarious describing with waving hands and a toss of her head how Max had turned beet red and stammered to try and get those words she demanded out. Finally in frustration Lydia took matters into her own hands and arranged for them to go to a jeweller’s where she selected her engagement and wedding rings and pointed to his wallet which he produced obediently paying without comment. Then when Lydia began preparations for their wedding Max suddenly became enamoured with the idea and began serious courting showering gifts and attention on her far beyond her anticipation. He turned out to be a very acceptable lover and Lydia patted herself on the back for bringing their relationship to a successful high point. Max followed her around like a faithful pet showering love on her and the children. His brothers were amazed at the transformation Lydia had achieved in their introverted brother and even Angelina with her Italian background and similar culture deferred to Lydia when it came to managing an assembled audience.

They all returned to their respective homes at the end of the reunion having made sure the senior Sykes’ were included in all their activities viewing them as honoured grandparents to their children during their vacation.

Despite being counselled by his elder brother to move on and forget about the mother who’d abandoned them as children Stanley could not get her out of his mind. It became an obsession with him so that when he had to make his frequent trips to Adelaide in connection with the mining business he gravitated when he had spare time up to the hills and stood to watch the house she lived in now hoping to see her and at times he was able to observe family members including his mother and stepsister coming and going from the home and sometimes he’d spend time without seeing anyone. He even checked on his stepsister who mostly was around the hospital where she received her practical nursing instruction and experience in conjunction with her university studies. Little did he know that he too had been observed in those infrequent trips by unseen eyes and reported as one whose motives needed to be checked out by authorities.

A year after the reunion at Port Stephens he was at his usual vantage post at Mount Lofty when on a business trip to Adelaide where he thought he’d be unseen when a police car pulled up at the curb. Two police officers bundled him into their car and took him to the police station where they produced photos of him when he was in Adelaide regularly stalking the Barnard family and under intense questioning Stanley broke down and wept, and the story came out. Sheila Barnard was his mother who’d left them when they were children and they’d no idea where she’d gone until the request for a divorce was made from lawyers in Adelaide. He told the story of his stepsister being recommended on Facebook to his sister Trisha who thought it must be someone trying to steal her identity, so they had a private detective check out on her bona fides. That is how the family had become aware of where their mother was, and Stanley had just wanted to see her and learn why she’d deserted her children.

The police meticulously checked out this story with the anxious Mason brothers and Anthony Sykes the lawyer and satisfied Stanley had been telling the truth they phoned Barnard who’d made the complaint and requested he come to the station. While they held Stanley in an interview room they talked with Barnard, and he requested to see Stanley, so they took him to the interview room and in the presence of one of the police he asked Stanley what he’d like to see as an outcome from this interrogation.

Stanley said he’d like to have a visit with his mother if she’d see him. There was a void in his heart affecting his life and work. Barnard apologized for the trauma Stanley had endured through interrogation, but he was firm this could have been prevented if Stanley had approached him and explained why he was doing this. Barnard had a duty to protect his family, and it appeared Stanley could have bad intentions not in the best interests of any of them. Now he understood and would have a talk with his wife and see what she wanted to do. Stanley was released from custody and Barnard took Stanley’s contact details and promised to get in contact with him. Next day Stanley flew back to the mine determined not to repeat his behaviour when he had to return to Adelaide for mining business. If his arrest came to the attention of mine top administration his job could be in serious jeopardy. He was relieved not be called into top administration for a caution. Two days later Barnard sent a message asking when Stanley would make his next trip to Adelaide so he could set up a meeting with him at the hotel he usually stayed in.

Three months later he was back in Adelaide again and looking forward to the appointment with Barnard that evening at the hotel. He wondered if his mother would be coming but that evening only Barnard appeared in the foyer of the hotel and Stanley ushered him to the hotel restaurant where he’d arranged to share a meal with him before they talked about his request. Barnard turned out to be quite approachable as they talked. Stanley shared the experience of the Mason family on departure of their mother and how Anthony Sykes had helped them establish a better life than they’d been born into. Barnard listened attentively. Then when the dishes had been removed, he began to speak.

He revealed how he’d noticed Sheila Mason working at the King’s Cross hotel which was a reasonably good hotel and cheap enough for him to favour whenever he had business to attend to in Sydney. He described the conditions Sheila Mason worked under to earn money to take home to contribute to family welfare and the constant leud suggestions by staff or temporary residents who considered anyone working at that level was a mark for their good time that night. Sheila had fended them off every time and complaints were made by customers to management about her work in revenge which in Barnard’s estimation was above average. There’d been times when she’d been roughed up by drunken customers when she resisted their advances.

Barnard who’d see this on visits had been incensed management did nothing to see she had a safe environment to work in. Then one evening Barnard returning to his room caught one of the staff dragging her into a spare room and she was fighting back but not strong enough to prevent this evil fellow from the inevitable. Barnard had quickly intervened and asked if Sheila needed assistance and she wept and said yes. Barnard had grabbed the fellow and marched him to the one in charge demanding the fellow be dismissed. The staff member said he was only going to show Sheila how she’d not cleaned the room as required for the next customer coming in for the night and she’d used bad language on him when he was only doing his job. He mentioned there were numerous complaints about this woman from customers and she really needed to be sacked. So, the one in charge phoned his superiors and they cleared him to pay her out and send her home.

Barnard had offered to see her home, but she said her husband would be angry with her for losing the job so she couldn’t go home. Barnard took her to his room and Sheila poured out her frustrations at living in poverty and felt she was unappreciated by her husband despite the danger she faced each night. He saw she was near breaking point so put her to bed and paced the floor for the rest of the night as he had no intension of taking advantage of her. He was a man of high principles whose wife had recently died, and he was struggling to look after the boys left behind after her death. He needed someone in the home to look after them. When she woke up, he was exhausted from pacing the room all night, so he ordered her to bathe then called for room service to see she was well fed then went and paid for his room and took her to a women’s clothing store where he ordered them to outfit her and throw her old clothes away. He then took her to the airport bought a ticket for her to Adelaide after being assured she didn’t want to return home as she couldn’t take the lifestyle anymore and would rather commit suicide than continue in her poverty.

To be continued.

Copyright Notice

© Copyright 2026 Ian Grice, “ianscyberspace.” All rights reserved.

Disclosure: No form of AI is used in the writing of my copyrighted blogs