Kitty had a fiance who lived in Canada.
They met online, and she was going to meet him face-to-face.
Every evening she would get on the family computer in the dining room to chat and use the webcam in her bathrobe.
It pissed me off because I had a bedtime and screen limits.
Every night she did this, I would go to my Mother's and Rick's bedroom (right around the corner from the Dining Room) and complain. Loudly.
They'd listen for a while, but then they'd send me off to bed.
One evening though, Kitty came up barreling up behind me, she put her face in mine, and screamed.
"How dare I complain about her. She was an adult. And she had to make sacrifices for me too!"
I'd just like to point out; I was 14, Kitty was 20.
She had the largest bedroom in the house. She lived rent-free, didn't pay for her groceries or for utilities, and Rick bought her a brand new two-door baby blue pickup so she could get to school.
She liked to honk and wave as she drove past us while we walked from the bus stop.
I sobbed and ran for the mudroom to hide.
Eventually, my mother knelt beside me.
"I still have the house. Do you want to go home? Do you think I should leave him?"
I think I said no.
Next thing we were sitting in the living room.
Kitty apologized, and then she started screaming at Rick about him being a liar.
Before we knew him, Step-Dad #1 had a son.
The story was that he fell asleep on his way home from work and crashed into the side of the bridge.
And according to my mother, it was why Rick was sometimes a jerk to us kids.
But now Kitty was yelling. "You lied! He killed himself!"
My Mother sent me to bed so they could talk.
They next morning, everyone pretending like nothing had happened.
YOU ARE READING
What My Mother Forgot
Non-FictionBefore reading this, you should know... This is not a happy story. There is no happy ending. Simply put, this is a chronological account of the abuse, neglect, and bullying I suffered at the hands of loved ones from birth to 17 years old. It does no...
