COVID-19 AND THE ANCESTORY MESS

Adam Schweitzer was feeling like the walls were closing in. He had taken the quarantine that was caused by the surging Covid-19 virus very seriously.

He had established a daily routine. He would start the day at five-thirty in the morning with a hot shower and then after getting dressed he'd grab a cup of green tea, take his pills and eat half a bagel. He'd throw a tomato on his bagel some mornings and other times he'd treat himself to lox and cream cheese.

After breakfast, he'd sit at his computer screen and start working on a documentary outline that he planned to shoot as soon as it was safe to venture back out into the world. He liked the pace he was on as it allowed him to try and secure funding and set his schedule for visiting different locations.

Adam profoundly missed his parents, they had been his best friends and greatest supporters. He spoke to them on a daily basis and now that they were gone he felt an emptiness that he couldn't put into words. He knew that eventually, death came for everyone, but it felt like his parents had been taken too soon.

One day while looking through his emails he discovered one from Ancestory.com and started investigating it. It looked interesting and Adam decided to take the plunge. He joined and started to put in the information he knew down and was amazed as his family tree started to sprout leaves.

After looking at his family Adam started thinking about his cousins. He had always been close with his first cousins but time had caused them to drift apart. In particular, there was one guy he hadn't seen or heard from in ages. He had always liked Oliver, ''Ollie'' to his family and friends and he decided to find out what he was up to and where he was.

The problem was Ollie was no where to be seen. Adam looked everywhere, he googled, he contacted the last place he remembered Ollie working, he even checked obits and there was no sign of his missing cousin.

It didn't take long for the search for Ollie to become an obsession. Every morning for exactly one hour Adam searched the internet for signs of Ollie. He called Ollie's sister. Her response was more frustrating than anything else. ''Ollie was living in Toronto, he lost his job as the Matire de at Le Chic and he asked to borrow money. My husband and I lent him ten thousand and then I heard he took his new girlfriend, Maxine to Vegas. Can you imagine? We lend him money and he pisses it away, or at least he would have. When I asked him for the money back, he e-transferred it back and told me that he was disgusted that I didn't trust him and was forcing him to give it back so quickly. We lost touch over it. I think he was an ingrate and he thought we were unreasonable, what do you think?'' Adam was stunned and wasn't sure what to answer. ''I think you're all great. I just want to talk to Ollie.'' Priscilla answered ''Well, when you do talk to him, tell him that I love him and to please call and if he needs the money I'll loan it to him.''

Adam started calling cousins. There were a couple, who wanted to join in the pursuit. His cousin Lynda was sure she could find Ollie, and she bet Adam twenty dollars that she would find him first.

Ollie seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. There was no phone number, email addresses or anything. It was scary. What happened to Ollie?

Adam reflected on his first cousin and he really liked him, he was older and had always been very nice. His absence was really bothering him.

Lynda sent emails and made calls telling him that she was having no luck in finding Ollie or anything about him. She was also continuing the search but the fact everything was turning into dead ends was frustrating.

The search for Ollie over the past two months continues. Adam Schweitzer hasn't been able to find him anywhere. A million thoughts run through his mind and Adam began praying everyday that his cousin was safe and okay. He enlisted a Rabbi to help with the prayers.

What started out as almost a joke quickly became a serious and scary situation. Where was Ollie? Adam Schweitzer decided to devote two hours a day in pursuit of his cousin and hired a Private Investigator to help get answers. Her first report was not promising. She couldn't find any trace of the guy.

Adam explained to the PI that thanks to Ancestory.com he can tell what happened to his relatives one hundred years ago but he can't find a guy who he hasn't talked to in eleven years. She asked if maybe he was in a witness protection program. Adam didn't think it sounded feasible, but who knew.

As Adam went to the cemetery to visit Ollie's Father, he reflected on the fact that sometimes one loses track of people who are related by blood and instead focus on the wrong things in life. If a relative doesn't want to be close, that's their business, but if you don't attempt to keep in touch, is it their fault. When a cousin mysteriously disappears off the face of the earth it is an empty feeling.

Ancestory.com had provided Adam Schweitzer with the fuel to keep looking for Ollie. If he didn't look up his relatives from the past, he might not have thought about his relatives in the present.

When the PI asked Adam what his time limit was for the search, Adam replied that he wasn't going to stop till he found answers. It was now more important to him than he could have ever imagined. Adam didn't know why but he explained that he felt it important deep in his soul to find out where Ollie was.

The search for Ollie is officially on. When he's done, Adam plans to do a documentary about the search. What could be more interesting or dramatic? He's only hoping for one thing, a happy ending.