I remember my father well since childhood. He constantly drank, and it wasn’t uncommon for him to raise his hand towards me and my mother. Mom always tried to protect me and took all the blows upon herself, but I didn’t understand why my mother endured all of this.
© David Schmidt
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Portrait of Young Man
Later, I realized that my mother endured all of this for me. Regardless of her father being an alcoholic, he earned a lot of money and provided for his family. When I was 13, my father suddenly didn’t come home. Usually, he often stayed out late after work with friends, but he always came home in the evening. But this time, he didn’t come home even in the morning.
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Portrait of handsome young man standing on field
Mom reported it to the police, but they told us to wait for three days. Dad came back after 2 days. He came home and started packing his things. In addition to his clothes, he took a DVD player and some of his mother’s gold jewelry, including a wedding ring. His mother tried to stop him, but he gestured for her to leave and yelled at her. Throughout all those years, not only did he not help us financially, but he never even called us on our birthdays. Now I’m 25. Mom raised me on her own and provided me with everything I needed in life. I graduated from college and found a well-paying job that I enjoy.
Now, my mother lives alone, and I help her financially and in everyday life. Recently, my father showed up. He came to see his mother and asked her to take him back. He looked like he had been living on the streets for 5 years. I don’t believe at all that he has changed, and returning to his mother won’t make him happy. He was far from being a gift anyway, but despite his alcohol dependence and aggressiveness, he still left my mother and me at a difficult time.
It’s clear from my mother that she wants to take him back, and, by force or not, I’m trying to dissuade her. Now, I’m not afraid of him anymore, and I tell him directly that he’s nobody to us and that he’d better not show up here again. Mom doesn’t stop me, but she’s afraid to say anything herself. I really hope my mother won’t take him back.
