The Egbert-Strider Family

Thanks for the Memories

I kept hearing arguing from my parents as I hid in the closet, sobbing and scared. I heard the front door open and shut, I figured that my dad left like he always did when he was don't arguing with my mom. I heard footsteps coming to my room, I knew it was my mom just coming to check on me after what happened. "Dirk, sweetie, are you okay?" When I heard her soft sounding voice I wiped my tears away and crawled out of my closet. My mom sighed and slowly kneeled down to my level. "Come here.." she said and I slowly croaked into her arms, her warmth calmed me, she was always there when I am upset, my father was never there, he just berates my mom and verbally abuses her, he is the same with me but much more worst. He says if I ever kiss a boy he'll shoot me dead. I hate him, he never loved me as much as my mom did, she says to not listen to my dad's judgement, she says he ain't worth shit and that I should just do me and to not worry about getting others approval.

I looked up at her, my bright orange eyes, she smiled down at me, I smiled back. "You okay darling?" She asked, I slowly nodded. "Good." She kissed the top of my head and we both got up. "Let's go get something to eat okay?" She says and we both started to slip on our shoes and walked out after waiting for my mom to grab the keys to her own car. I may hate my dad but memories with my mom were always my favorite, she meant everything to me and I wouldn't trade her for the world, but I would definitely trade my father for her. My mom deserves better than him but it is not easy to leave an abusive relationship, I understand that as much even though I was only 12 years old and naive. I may not know better but I knew that life shouldn't be this way.

But that all changed when my father came home drunk and took out on my mom and me, I tried to protect her but things got worst, my dad landed her in the hospital and all I got was a black eye. The doctors said she will make it but she'll need to take some medication for her brain damage she got from my dad slamming her head against the wall. I took care of her, I made sure she ate and made sure she took her meds. I did that until I was doing virtual college. My dad went to jail for domestic and child abuse. Thankfully.

After all that happened, everything was doing okay, my mom was better and could live on her own now and me, well I had a kid of my own, I named him David but I usually call him Dave, he is a good kid and I love him to bits, the girl I got him from was not in the picture, she wanted nothing to do with him so she dumped him on me but I don't care, I was one to take accountability of my actions. Dave may be unexpected but to me he isn't a mistake, he's a surprise, a great surprise at that.