'HOW A CARELESS TEENAGER TURNED INTO A (STEP)MOM'
(life of a girl who survived domestic violence and stalking, fighting for a better life)
Welcome to the Seventh day I'm participating in the #monthlyauthorchallenge!
I'm really excited to join the challenge! Why? Because I would love to share some bits of my life with you.
I think it might surprise you and even shock you 😉
DAY 7 Running away
-Then I heard this whistle.. I looked over my shoulder and saw my husband standing on the corner with an angry face shouting
'YOU COME BACK! RIGHT NOW!!'-
Now what?!
We'd almost reached the car. Should I walk back to my husband? My mom, my dad and I looked at each other...
My dad decided in a split second 'Get in the car, NOW!'
I threw my stuff in the car, and put Lotte in the car seat. I heard my husband running toward us and shouting. I jumped inside the car and closed the door. The next moment my husband jumped the on the front of the car, and stared at my dad trough the window shouting,
'Open up the door. She's my wife. She stays here with me!!'
As soon as he got of the car my dad accelerated and drove away. My husband was furious and ran after us.
I was in a shock I think. 'We need to pick up Mirthe!! If he gets to her faster then we do I have no choice then to go back to him!' My dad drove directly to the school ignoring red lights. I felt I was in this movie, but was not sure if this would end well.. In the mean time I called the police and asked them to hurry to the school to help us in case my husband would show up at the same time.
As soon as we got there I jumped out of the car and ran into the school. Mirthe just turned four, so it was her first week at school. I saw her sitting in a circle, eating and drinking together with her classmates. I ran into the class and picked up Mirthe. She had no idea what was going on. Neither did the teacher. All I could say was 'Sorry!' and I took Mirthe with me to the car. Fortunately no sign of my husband yet..
Thank God, I got both of my kids with me!! 😌
But what should we do now? We lived very nearby the policestation so that wasn't an option. We decided to go to a policestation in a nearby city. I told the police what was going on. We had to figure out what my options were. We wouldn't be safe at my parents house or at another place my husband was familiar with... Fortunately some friends of my parents, who were living in another part of the country, could help us out by offering a place to stay.
My parents brought us there.
I'm so thankful for their help until this day! That night we talked about everything that has happened in the last years and of course we had to figure out what we should do next..
The only option seemed to be a womens shelter, a save house. I was not really excited about that idea, but then I thought 'well this might be interesting. I've heard about it during college and now I have a chance to experience it myself' (Yes, I'm VERY good in finding the positive things in a pile of shit... 😁)
But then another option occurred.. They knew someone who had two houses. One of the houses was furnished, but nobody lived there. It was only used for babysitting twice a week. This person was fine with me and the girls moving in there (See, there is a God!!)
That night I layed my girls to sleep and lighted up a cigarette in the garden.
Their I was
Alone
In a strange house
In a place I'd never heard of before
I had nothing but some underwear and socks
20 years old
2 girls were laying in the bed upstairs depending on ME
The next morning I called the police to ask what I should do. They told me that I had to contact Social work and CPS. I made a to-do-list.
First I called Social work. They'd put me on a list. They would have time for me about 6 months later I was told.
Okay.. 'Then can you give me a phone number of CPS?' 'Why?' 'Because the police told me to call them, because I just fled from my husband and I'm in a secret place right now with my two kids' 'Oh wait a minute... You can come by this afternoon!'
A few hours later I was standing in the office of a social worker. I explained to him what was going on. When he was getting some coffee I talked to the trainee that was there as well. I told her that I just started the third semester of my study Social Work and that I was really sad that this whole thing came up. I wanted to continue my study!
When the social worker came back he made this list of things that I should do, and people that I should call. I told him I'd already made that list and that I knew what to do.
BIG MISTAKE!
He looked at me and said 'Wat ben jij een ijskonijn zeg!' (By that he meant I was an unemotional person) 😲
REALLY?! What was he expecting?! Me coming in there shouting, crying, pulling hear out of my head?! I had two kids who relied on me!! Their dad was the crazy one. I had to be the responsible one.
Thanks social worker, this is really helping.. 😒
He gave me his number, so I could call him in case I needed his help.
Guess what.. I never called him again
I decided to get Mirthe to school asap. Her life should continue as 'normal' as possible. I was on the phone all day trying to settle things.
The good thing was: I was safe for the moment
The bad thing was: My family WASN'T..
I'll tell you about it tomorrow!
Stay tuned!
-Thank you for your interest! I would love to hear something from you! Please leave a comment and I'll get back to you 😊 Hope to see you back tomorrow! Love you 😘!-
