“Is This Love?”
Rita Pedro
I close the door and run to my bed, covering my ears hoping not to hear the terrifying cries… Why is this happening again? Why is my mom crying again?
I get up and try to peek through the little groove at the door to figure out what’s going on and I see my father grasping my mother’s arm with all his strength.
Mommy says that when we love someone, we have to treat them well. But if that’s true why is she screaming for help? Is daddy not treating her well?
But he loves mommy, right? They are married and had me, and we only get married and have children when we love someone.
But then why is daddy throwing things and hitting mommy?
I also have a girlfriend; her name is Alicia. I like her, should I treat her like that,too? After all, daddy always says he loves mommy after yelling at her.
I do not understand… my mother tells him to stop, why does not he stop? I should go there but I’m afraid. Is mommy afraid of daddy?
Suddenly I stopped listening to my father’s screams and my mother’s not crying anymore so I run to the kitchen and I see my mommy on the floor without moving and my father with hands on his face.
“Call 911 “ he says. It was not the first time I did it, so it would be an easy task for a seven-year-old.
When my mother woke up in hospital, I heard my father apologise. “I will never do it again,” he promised.
My mother seemed to think twice. She was used to hearing apologies like this but she accepted it.
When we got home my mommy whispered in my ear “Grab your favorite toys,” while she was packing some clothes in a suitcase. “Are we going on vacation?” I asked. Sometimes Daddy took us for a drive after screaming at mommy.
But I don’t think so this time. I see my mommy hurrying for the car keys and we leave the house without daddy. I’m confused so I ask my mother where we are going and she answers me: “Listen to me my love, daddy cannot live with us anymore and that’s why we have to leave.”
Why cannot my daddy live with us anymore? They love each other, right? and that’s why I ask my mommy…
“Mommy, is this love?”