The Ultimate Test
been a month into the semester, Jean couldn’t imagine her life without her roommates, who had become her best friends. As the sunrise painted the sky with oranges and yellows, Jean, Emmie, and Carmen hurried to their family history class at the University of Montana. Jean wore a pair of brown hiking boots, blue jeans, and a gray sweater, while Emmie and Carmen wore T-shirts and shorts. As Jean tugged the heavy door to the natural science building, she turned around. “Wait, where’s Carmen?”
Emmie shrugged. “Oh, there she is,” Emmie said, pointing to Carmen standing near the side of the building, playing with her silky hair as she conversed with a young man. “Who’s that cute guy she’s talking to?”
Jean glanced at her watch and shrugged. “We only have two minutes.”
“Carmen, come on,” Emmie yelled. “Girl, Carmen, get over here! Y’all, we’re gonna be late.”
Carmen hugged the young man she was speaking to and ran to catch up with Emmie and Jean.
“Have you guys started the family tree assignment yet?” Carmen asked.
Emmie scrunched her brows and tipped her head. “Wait, who were you talking to?”
“Oh, that was Mark. We just met, and he told me about a party this weekend. Of course, I expect you to join me. Anyway, about that family tree assignment, I already have a family tree prepared.”
Jean sighed. “I don’t have information about my biological family, so I guess I’ll just research my adoptive family.”
Carmen pouted. “I didn’t know you were adopted.”
Emmie rolled her eyes. “Really, Carmen? Remember her parents? They look nothing like her,” she said.
“Oh, right. Anyway, have you been able to get your adoption records? They usually have useful information you can use in your research.”
“Uh, no. I don’t have any birth information.” Emmie and Carmen stared at Jean, waiting for her to continue. “It’s a long story,” Jean said, shifting in her seat. They really don’t need to know my mother abandoned me. I mean, it’s not a big deal, but it’s none of their business. Carmen probably wouldn’t care too much and Emmie … well, I don’t know how she would feel, but I don’t want her to feel sorry for me.
“Well, ladies, we are officially late,” Emmie exclaimed as they entered the classroom filled with auditorium-style seating.
“Thank God for air conditioning. I thought I was going to melt. Can you believe how humid it is out there?” Carmen said as she quickly wrapped her long blonde hair into a bun and plopped down into the nearest empty seat.
Emmie giggled. “Ya’ll better get used to it. With all this global warming, we’ll be part of the tropics in a few short years.”
“I haven’t even noticed,” Jean said.
Emmie slid a notebook out of her backpack and fanned herself with it. “How could you not notice? We’ve been in a heat wave all week.”
Jean pointed toward the front of the room. “Who’s that man?”
“I’m not sure. Oh, wait.” Carmen pulled out a copy of the course syllabus. “Today is DNA testing day. It looks like you’ll get some info about your bio family.”
“Yeah.” Jean slumped down in her chair. I need to learn about my heritage, but how will Mom and Dad feel? I don’t want to hurt their feelings. And what type of mother dumps her newborn baby in a park? What if my biological parents are terrible people? What if they’re criminals? If I came from a terrible family, does that mean I’m terrible too? Is it better to know my genetic background? I have great parents. Do I really need to meet by bio parents? Strange things have been happening and they may have answers, but at what cost?
A seven-foot-tall man with stark white hair and light blue eyes stood behind a podium and tapped the microphone. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dr. Krenik. I am the head of the genealogy department. Today, we are going to administer a DNA test. Although the test is not mandatory, it will help you greatly with your family history assignments. Don’t worry. There is no pain involved.” Dr. Krenik chuckled.
“We will simply swab your mouth and insert the results into the machine on the table over there,” Dr. Krenik said as he pointed toward the long table behind him. “The machine will analyze your DNA on the swab and print a report in a few quick minutes. That report will contain information about where your ancestors came from. The attached computer will upload your DNA information to an international database and compile a list of other DNA test takers who share DNA with you. Years ago, you would have needed to wait months for this type of information. Now, we can provide immediate results. Any questions?”
Loud chatter filled the room. Many students spoke about the different places where their ancestors came from based on information from their parents.
“Okay, hearing no questions, I would like to introduce my assistant, Ziva Mooley, standing to my right. She will swab your cheek and enter your information into the DNA analyzer. We’ll start by having everyone in row one taking the test to line up near the machine.”
Ziva glanced at her watch. “Okay, let’s get started, everyone. Row one,” she said, waving her arm forward.
A young man named Jacob approached Jean, Emmie, and Carmen. “We’re having a contest. You write the locations where your ancestors came from and the percentages. Whoever is the most accurate wins the pot. $1 to enter.”
“I’ll pass,” Jean said.
“Are you sure? The more people who enter, the more you can win,” Jacob said, fanning the dollar bills in his hand.
Emmie pulled a dollar from the front pocket of her backpack and handed it to Jacob. “She doesn’t know anything about her family, but I’ll enter.”
Jean rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks for making me feel so much better, Emmie,” she groaned. “This assignment is going to suck.”
“Girl, I get it. I moved around so much, I barely know most of my family. Hey, after today, you’ll know something about yours,” Emmie said.
“If I decide to take the test,” Jean huffed. What do you do when you want to know something and don’t want to know at the same time?
“Girl, you need to take the test. Besides, how else are you gonna complete the assignment?”
Of course, Emmie’s right. I have no choice but to complete the assignment if I want to pass this class. “I’m going to ask the professor.” Jean strolled up to Professor Higgins, who stood at the side of the room while Dr. Krenik answered questions. “Excuse me, Professor Higgins?”
Professor Higgins turned, peering over her wire-frame glasses. “Yes?”
Jean rubbed her palms against her pant legs. “Um, I have a question about the family history assignment. I’m adopted, and I was wondering if it’s possible for me to just complete the assignment for my adoptive family’s tree. I’m not sure if I want to do the test.”
“One moment.” Professor Higgins walked over to the podium. “Excuse me, Doctor. I just want to make an announcement to the class. Okay, everyone, your family tree can be for anyone you consider family. That includes an adoptive family. However, you get ten bonus points for taking the DNA test and the ethnicity research portion of the assignment is more for your benefit. The best way to learn your ethnicity is to do the DNA test. Now, you are free to research any ethnicities you want, but the best way to get the most out of the family history class is to learn as much as possible about yourself.” Professor Higgins warmly smiled at Jean.
Jean scampered back to her seat.
“So, you’re gonna take it?” Emmie asked.
“I’m not sure.” Jean sighed. “I’m still deciding.”
Emmie leaned in, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Do it! This is your chance to learn about your heritage, plus you get bonus points. It’s a win-win,” she exclaimed.
“I already know a lot about my heritage,” Carmen said, her voice filled with confidence. “My grandmother researched my family tree, so it’s an easy A for me.”
Jean furrowed her brow. “You’re so lucky. What do you know about your family?”
“Well,” Carmen began, her tone slightly hushed, as if revealing a secret. “One of my grandmothers immigrated from Ireland, but her father is Russian. My other grandmother is Native American. Let me know if you have questions about genealogy. I learned a lot from my grandmother.”
“Hey, Jean, wouldn’t it be funny if we found out we’re related? I went to school with a guy whose mother found out she was her co-worker’s sibling after taking the DNA test,” Emmie said.
“No offense, Emmie, but I seriously doubt we’re related. Don’t get me wrong, I would love having you as a sister, but I think it’s safe to say we’re not related.”
“Well, you’ll never know who you’re related to if you don’t take the test,” Emmie said in a sing-song voice.
Jean let out a resigned sigh. “Ugh, fine. I’ll do it. But when it says you are not my sister, you owe me a latte,” she said, giggling.
Emmie’s eyes widened as her mouth curled into a gentle smile. “Ya won’t be sorry. I’m so excited for you!”
“Okay, everyone in row 23 who’s taking the test can line up in the front,” Professor Higgins instructed.
Carmen hopped up. “That’s us. Are you ready?”
Jean froze. “No.”
Emmie wrapped her arm around Jean’s shoulder. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
As Jean strolled to the front of the room, her heart raced. There was an exit door near the front and she stared at it, wondering if she should leave. “Well, you go first.”
Emmie stepped forward. “Carmen, let’s show Jean how easy it is.”
“I’ll go first.” Carmen hopped in front of Emmie and sashayed over to Ziva. After Ziva swabbed the inside of her cheeks, she instructed Carmen to sit in the chair next to the DNA analyzer while the machine processed her results. Carmen sat down and smiled at Jean. “See, that wasn’t too bad. All you need to do is get swabbed and sit next to the machine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
After ten minutes, Dr. Krenik pulled Carmen’s results from the analyzer and handed them to Ziva. Ziva showed the report to Carmen and explained how her DNA showed she had ancestors from Ireland, Greece, and Italy. After Emmie took the test and got her results, Jean slowly approached Ziva to be swabbed. Her entire body shook with a mix of nervousness and excitement.
Ziva inserted the swab into Jean’s mouth. “Hold still. I’m not gonna be able to get your results if you keep moving around like that.”
Jean froze. She didn’t realize she had been moving. After being swabbed, she sat and waited. Within a few minutes, Ziva pulled the printed copy of Jean’s results and approached Jean.
“Okay, your report shows your DNA is from the following regions: 22% Nigeria, 5% Southern Philippines, 5% Scotland, 5% Norway, 1% Wales, 62% un… Wait, that’s weird.” Ziva frowned as she stared at the report. “Hmm, why does it say that?”
Jean scrunched her brows and stood. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s just that I never saw this before. Sometimes, we see a tiny percentage as undetermined, but your report has an exorbitant amount.”
Jean stared intently at Ziva, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed softly, casting a sterile glow across the room. The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air as Ziva’s fingers fervently tapped the machine’s buttons.
“Um, Dr. Krenik, can you come here, please?” Ziva’s voice cut through the quiet room, breaking the silence. Her footsteps echoed softly as she strolled toward Dr. Krenik, the sound of her shoes against the linoleum floor.
Dr. Krenik, a tall figure with a confident stride, sauntered over to Ziva, his white lab coat swaying slightly. The sound of his footsteps merged with Ziva’s, creating a symphony of anticipation.
“What’s going on?” Dr. Krenik inquired, his deep voice resonating through the room.
Ziva held up the report and flipped through it. The crisp pages rustled in her hands, the sound almost drowning out the machine’s soft hum.
“It didn’t analyze all her DNA,” Ziva explained, her voice tinged with concern. “Is it broken?”
Dr. Krenik reached out and snatched the test results from Ziva’s hand. His eyes swiftly scanned the report. “Whose test is this?”
Ziva pointed toward Jean, her finger trembling slightly with unease.
Dr. Krenik studied the results. After reading them, his eyes met Jean’s with an intense stare. Unnerved, Jean turned her back to him.
“I can’t believe it. After all these years … I finally found one of the missing…” Dr. Krenik walked toward Jean and waved his arm. “Young lady…”
Carmen looked up after reviewing her test results and edged closer to Jean. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m just gonna leave. This was a bad idea,” Jean said, a shiver running down her spine. She flung her backpack hastily over her shoulder and strolled toward the exit, eager to escape his penetrating gaze. As Jean reached for the door handle, there was a sudden vise-like grip on her wrist. Heart racing, she whirled around to find Dr. Krenik clutching her arm, his face mere inches from hers.
“Let go of me,” Jean cried out as she tried to pry his fingers off her arm. Why is he grabbing me? I need to get out of here. Jean gasped as her breathing intensified. She looked around frantically before spotting Professor Higgins. “He won’t let go of me,” Jean cried out, her voice trembling.
Professor Higgins darted over to Jean.
“He won’t let go,” Jean said as she struggled to pull Dr. Krenik’s hand off her wrist.
“Let go of her! Release her right now!” Professor Higgins grabbed Dr. Krenik’s hand and pried it off Jean’s wrist.
Loud chatter filled the room. Jean staggered toward the door and ran out of the auditorium, rubbing her wrist. She could still feel the imprint of Krenik’s grip burning into her skin. Carmen and Emmie followed closely behind her.
“OMG, what was that about?” Emmie asked.
“I have no idea.” Jean looked over her shoulder at her classroom door and saw Dr. Krenik staring at her through the door’s glass window. “Let’s just get out of here. That guy really creeps me out.”
Carmen stuffed her test results into her backpack. “Do you want me to go see what that was about? I can talk to the professor.”
Jean shook her head and took a deep inhale. “No. I just wanna leave. My hands are still shaking.”
“When’s your next class?” Emmie asked.
Jean sighed and glanced at her watch. “In two hours. I think I’m going back to the dorm until then. I need time to decompress.”