A secluded house
The sound of shattering glass woke me from a restless sleep. I squinted sleepily at my phone‘s display. It was just before five in the morning. That meant only one thing – my drunken parents were returning from a night out.
I was used to scenes at night. My father was aggressive after drinking alcohol and often cursed at my mother rudely. Sometimes he even beat her. She could have left him, but instead she went on to drink with him at night, then took him home and caught a shower of swear words or a beating. Then she would go silent for days and glare at me, as if it were all my fault.
My whole life was headed to the moment when I would finally be eighteen and be able to leave my parents.
My only happiness in life was that I had nowhere to go. My mother's sister lived in a big house a hundred kilometers from our home. She was alone and taking care of the house required a lot of work that my aunt could no longer do. I used to go there to help her when I could, but I wasn't often lucky. My mom and I went to my aunt in secret when we managed to save up money for the train. Most of the family money was managed by my father so he could drink.
As soon as I was eighteen, I packed up the few things I had in the form of about ten pieces of clothing and headed for my aunt. Over the next year, we had several more unpleasant visits from my angry father. He didn't like the fact that he had just one maid at home. Eventually he tried to attack my aunt, pushing my mother who was obstructing him so hard that she cut her head open against the door frame. My father was imprisoned for assault.
When I think about it all, I still have tears in my eyes. Because I never knew my father's love, and because my mother eventually died of cancer just because she chose the wrong guy.
Children from families like mine have two options. They can either follow in their parents' footsteps, or they can learn from their mistakes and do everything to make their family different. Fortunately, as a young girl, I chose the second option.
Today I am fifty years old. I remember my aunt with love, who in the end left me her beloved house. My husband and I live here and we take care of her beautiful legacy. Our two children already have families, but they visit us with their grandchildren every weekend. Despite all the bad experiences, I managed to create a functioning family, where there is love and mutual trust. And I'm more proud of myself than anything else.
Do you know a strong story similar to today's? Has something like this happened to you or has any of your friends overcome adversity? Write us about it!
❤️❤️❤️
We thank you in advance for appreciating our effort and giving back by commenting in the comment section below or by also being a fair YeahCoach Hero member
TOGETHER STRONGER FOREVER