Every so often I've wondered whatever happened to Helena Starks, that wild little redhead I had my one affair with, my one night stand in the cheap motel.

I never knew much about her in the first place. I knew her daddy was a pilot and in charge of something on the base there in Dayton, but I'd severed my Air Force connections when I got my discharge.

I'd see her in Photography class after that, but she never spoke to me again, She just give me a smile, put her finger to her lips, and lick the tip of it. The last thing I remember her saying to me was "Sorry, Jesse, I've already had you."

I never saw her again after that class. I took several other photography classes after that, but then I wasn't an Art major so it wouldn't be that strange that I never saw her around campus.

Well, nearly 20 years later, a young man appears, claiming to be my son, claiming to be Helena Starks' son.

Proof? Well, there's a photograph of me Helena gave him. Okay, that is a picture of me, one that Helena took in that photography class. That hardly proves I'm his father.

Is there a family resemblance? I don't know. Do you see one?

He claims to have a South African birth certificate proving he is Nigel Starks, a certificate that lists me as his father.

Of course, his name isn't Nigel Starks now. Helena put him up for adoption. He was adopted by the Petersons, who changed his name to Isaiah Peterson.

Like many adopted children, Isaiah wanted to know who his "real" parents were and why they didn't want him.

He tracked down Helena Starks. And then he tracked down me.

Well, so, whatever DID happen to Helena Starks?

The story goes that once Helena pregnancy was discovered, her father rushed her off to South Africa. His sister had married an English businessman and had been living in Capetown for several years. The Major didn't believe in abortion but didn't want the embarrassment of having his pregnant 18 year old daughter hanging around the house.

Helena moved in with Joseph and Carla Kennington.

The baby was born August 31, 1978. Helena named him Nigel Bruce Starks, after the actor that played Dr. Watson in the old Sherlock Holmes movies.

On September 4^th, Nigel was adopted by Joshua and Briana Peterson. On December 15^th, Nigel Bruce Starks legally became Isaiah Rudolph Peterson.

In 1985, the Petersons emigrated to the U.S. They relocated in New Orleans, which is where Isaiah was lived ever since.

Just this spring, Isaiah married his high school sweetheart Barbara Goldstein. Barbara is a painter.

Okay.

In November of 1978, Helena left Capetown for London. She became well known in the clubs but apparently moved up to "pash" parties rather quickly.

In the early 80's, she was seen at many of London's finer parties, accompanied by several of London's finer gentlemen.

In March of 1985, Helena Starks married William Emerson Thorndyke, the Earl of Dunkinshire, becoming Lady Helena Thorndyke.

The Lord and Lady Thorndyke are quite the host and hostess, their parties being considered among the social events of every season.

As seems to be the fashion of the minor nobility, small scandals have followed the Thorndykes, but nothing of any serious nature.

Isaiah was able to locate and contact Helena in the spring of 1997.

Her account of our relationship and of that night at the Bimbo Motel is quite different than how I remember it.