Brother and sister Tony Sarjant, of Ringgold, Ga., and Mary Andrews, of Sheffield, England, meet for the first time in their lives Monday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. In the background is Bryan Andrews, Mary's husband.ATLANTA -- Born with polio and a club foot, unwanted by a mother who periodically abandoned him, abused as a child in institutions and in trouble with the law as a young man -- Ringgold, Ga., resident Tony Sarjant, 64, had a rough time growing up in post-war England.
He shares those hard-knock stories in "Angel With Crooked Feet," an autobiography that takes a redemptive turn after Sarjant meets his wife, Denise; fathers two sons; finds faith in God; and embarks on a career counseling troubled youth.
On Monday, Sarjant's life story took another happy twist, when he finally met Mary Andrews, of Sheffield, England -- the sister he never knew he had.
"I've got to rewrite my book now," Sarjant joked during the wait for his sister to disembark at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from a nonstop flight from Manchester, England.
Sarjant's long-lost sibling sneaked up on him from behind at the arrival gate. Tears flowed as they bear-hugged.
"Now don't cry. I've been trying not to cry all day," Andrews said, scolding her brother, who's 14 months younger, as Denise and Andrews' husband, Bryan, looked on.
"I always thought I had a sibling," Andrews said, explaining that she went looking after discovering in 2000 that she had been adopted after her adoptive father died.
The lucky break came last year, when Andrews' daughter found a website on which Sarjant had posted a request for his father, who was a soldier.
Sarjant always thought he was an only child; his mother, who died in 2006, never breathed a word to him about having had the daughter she gave up for adoption.
Andrews sent a letter to her brother, which led to phone calls, communication on the Internet and, finally, Monday's meeting.
"A few hours, that's the only communication that we've had," Sarjant said.
The two couples will spend the next two weeks getting to know each other; they're off to a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tenn., followed by some time in Savannah, Ga.
"I can't believe this is happening," Sarjant said.
He doesn't plan to dwell too much on the painful parts of his past with his sister, who grew up in a stable adoptive family.
"The past is the past," he said. "We just want to look forward to what we've got."
Contact Tim Omarzu at tomarzu@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6651.