‘Paul! Paul! Have you completed all the paper work on James O’Gorman?’

I was so engrossed in thought I had not realised my hands were resting on the keyboard and a line of t’s had sailed across the screen. The Registry Office was often dull and boring. I had thought of moving on but never got round to it.

‘Sorry Tim no problem I’ll be finished in a minute,’ I said cheerfully.

‘Look I understand things must be bad; how about taking some time off,’ he said looking concerned.

‘No I’m fine. It’s been three weeks since the accident. I need to keep myself occupied.’

There had been a gas explosion my parents had died instantly. I had sifted through the wreckage to retrieve any family items that were salvageable. I discovered an old tin box at the back of my mother’s wardrobe. I took it home and left it on the hall table for several days. I wasn’t sure if I should open it.

The day after the funeral I picked the box up and took it into the kitchen. I placed it next to me on the table. I stared at it for sometime. My hands were trembling as I prised open the lid. There were several neatly folded letters, a number of photographs and a copy of a birth certificate. The pictures were sepia and slightly faded at the edge where they had been well thumbed. A face stared out at me of a young boy. I looked through the papers to find further clues. The birth certificate read Simon John Hughes born 1941.The letters were from a Jennifer McBride, they informed mother of Simon’s progress.

‘Who the hell was Simon?’ I said out loud.

I phoned my sister Grace. ‘I’ve discovered a box in the house,’ I said calmly, ‘I think you need to see its contents.’

There was a long pause before my sister spoke, ‘I know all about it.’

‘What? You knew about this other brother?’

‘It’s complicated.’

‘How?’

‘I’ll meet you.’

We sat opposite each other in a small café. I waited for an explanation. I could see her face muscles twitching as she summoned up the courage to tell me.

‘Mother had an affair shortly after I was born; she refused to have a termination so father agreed to hush the whole matter if she went to stay with Aunt Alice until after the birth. She promised father she would give the child away. He took her back but the love went out of their marriage.’ She saw the look on my face, ‘Sorry Paul, I suppose you were conceived as part of the cover up. Father told the neighbours Mother had had a miscarriage and they would try again.’

‘So somewhere out there,’ I motioned to the street, ‘I have a brother…. we have a brother.’

‘Sorry,’ she said bowing her head.

‘We don’t?’

‘Simon died before his fourth birthday.’

Tears rolled down my face for the brother I never knew.