The Escape

Hello my name is Linda, I am 35 years old. I am a domestic abuse survivor that recently got out of a bad abusive marriage and I had to move across the country with my children to get away. My mother and I never saw eye to eye my whole life, so I hardly ever talked to her. I reached out to her when I saw the opportunity to leave my marriage, and save my children and I but as usual she came off cruel and insensitive. It was always my fault as to why I was in my situation in the first place. So again I was on my own as I always had been my whole life.

From the stories I heard my father in which I only meet a few times through out my life was that he was her high school sweetheart. He was a few grades older than her but he was the star athlete that all the girls wanted and she had him. Hispanic with hazel eyes, I’m sure it was all eyes. Well my father decided he wanted to go to the military after he graduated and my mother was extremely sad as she had two more years of high school left. A few months before my father was to depart my mom found out she was pregnant with me, and as those that know a old school traditional hispanic family will push marriage. So my father proposed to my mother and the wedding was to take place before he left to serve his country. Two days before the wedding something happened were my father called it off and just disappeared. So from this story I feel this is why my mom treated me the way she did all my life as I have heard I look like my fathers side.

I waited for a day when I knew I could escape, he would be gone most the day. Friday’s when he got off work and went and got drinks with his friends. I packed what I could carry and took all six of my babies and we boarded the greyhound. I saved the money by trying things online as I was stuck in the house and not allowed to go anywhere but to the grocery store and laundromat. I saved up enough for our bus tickets and enough extra to make sure my babies had snacks and food. It took us 4 days but we made it from Boston, Ma to Riverside, Ca.

I was able to get a hold of a cousin from my dads side of the family she came to pick my babies and I up from the bus stop. She said I could come stay with her and the family till I could get on my feet. She told me over the phone on my way across country that she had something very important to talk to me about. That she would wait till I arrived. This of course had my mind going crazy the four days in this greyhound with all my pretty littles faces laid out all over me at times as we took up the back seats of the bus. As the bus pulled in I could see my cousin waiting for us. We unloaded from the bus , lots of hugs and happy tears. We all packed into her caravan and off we went to her house that we would call home temporarily till we got our own place to call home.

She starts our journey to her home with “Remember I said I needed to talk to you about something.” I looked at her as I felt it may be something sad that would pierce out her mouth. “So a few months ago your dad passed, he had liver disease. We tried to find you but everyone told us they did not know where you were.” My heart sank and tears begin to roll down my eyes. I really wanted to see my father, this was a thought I had quit often well stuck in Boston. She then says, “I have something for you.” She hands me an envelope with a letter inside. It’s from my dad.

“Dear Linda, If your reading this then my liver disease has taken me. I know we never had a chance to really establish a relationship but I truly wanted one with you and my grandchildren. I hear I have six. I bet they are as beautiful as you are. Your mom would never give me information on how to contact you. So I decided to leave you this, here is the account number to a safe deposit box and the bank is Wells Fargo. All you have to do is show your ID. I hope it helps I don’t have much but I wanted to leave you something to remember me by. Love always your father Henry.

I was in shock, I ask my cousin if she could take me to the bank after we drop the kids off. She said of course and we unloaded the kids and off we went to the bank. I walked in and went up to a teller gave her the account number she asked to verify ID and then opened the side door to the safe deposit room. My cousin said go ahead go by yourself. I was so nervous I stared to sweat. The teller lead me to the box and opened it and left me to it. I opened the box and inside was a little black book. Inside the book it had writing from my dad as he kept a journal and he had every single newspaper clipping of when I was in high school and college. I was a extremely good athlete back in my young days. He wrote how proud he was of me and how he had went to some of my games without me knowing. I of course broke down in tears again. There was a small vanilla envelope also in the box I opened it up and there was cash inside, 20,000 to be exact I couldn’t believe it. A small note inside that said “I know this is not much but I hope it helps you in some way.”

Yes I was on my own again but this time my father was looking out for my babies and I from beyond. I was so humbled and brought to tears again. Sometimes we don’t realize what blessings we have in our lives. I was able to find my children and I a nice small home to rent and a used car as well. I used some money to start my divorce proceedings as well. I was able to get a job within two months and felt such a relief to see my babies so happy and smiling playing in their own yard. Yes my mom eventually asked to come see her grandchildren and I said yes. I would never keep them from their grandmother no matter our differences. She made a comment, “I didn’t think you would be able to do so well so fast.” I said, “The blessings of hidden love helped me and my children, it helped me to be on my own.”