That night after the ambulance had left and the police were interviewing my mum she told them what had happened. I know now that she got a restraining order but back then I didn't.
The violence that occurred that night was so traumatizing for myself and my little brother. I have spoken to him about things now that we are grown but he doesn't remember much of it.
We moved house again so that my biological father couldn't find us but mum did the right thing again and allowed my grandmother (fathers mother) know our number as after this incident he ran all the way back to Sydney to his mothers house. He called regularly and most of the time he was drunk so we didn't get to talk to him. Mum got to the point when he called she wouldn't say his name so we didn't get upset because we could speak with our dad. He also wrote letters to my mum and us but we never saw them till my little brother found in mums cupboard when we were older.
My mum worked really long hours from memory as we spent a lot of time with my Pa and Nan until Mum got home. It was always just after dark when she arrived and Pa would always have us bathed and feed.
Mum started to allow us to go the Sydney to see our dad at Christmas Holidays. We always stayed at his mothers house (I will call her Nanny M). Nanny M always had a bottle of TAB cola in her fridge (funny I remember that little detail). My dad would work during the day so nanny M would watch us. I tried to help her clean the house but she got really anger once and said no one is allowed to help her clean the house, she has to do it just right. This obviously was ingrained in her because of my Grandfather (dads father).
I don't ever remember doing much when we visited. One time dad took us to underwater world and I saw sharks etc. he brought me a big fluffy elephant (I still have it to this day). I don't think my brother got much. He was so bad to him looking back. He would buy me a bag of lol Lollies and not give my brother any, so I would save them and share them out when we got back to nanny m's house. I would always try and protect my little brother and make sure his feelings didn't get hurt.
I remember that my dad went to work one day and we had the best day ever as my favourite uncle was there (he was about 16 at the time, we will call him Timmy).
Timmy had a mechano set and would sit and help us built stuff. I remember looking up at him and thinking he was so big. I idolized this man. This day my uncle said "Emily! Do you want to see a magic trick?"
"Yes please uncle Timmy" was my response. He said "go outside and uncle Timmy is going to disappear, when you come back you look at the picture on the wall and I will be in it". I did what I was told and when he called me back in he was gone! Wow ! Magic. He started talking to me and telling me he was in the picture. I looked up and there was his face. Wow I was amazed. After a while of chatting to me he said "Emily, go out side and I will come back" so I did and when I went back in to his room he was there sitting on his bed. It wasn't till I was about 18 I found out that he was in the cupboard next to the picture. This was one of my best memories of being there.
That night nanny m ran me a bath. On the side of the bath was a rubbery thing so I put soap on it and started to wash myself. Not long later my nanny came in and said the weirdest thing to me "Emily! Have you seen nannies booby?" I immediately pointed to where her boobs were and said " there silly". She looked down at me and that rubbery sponge I was using.. Well let's just say it was not a sponge at all. She took it from me and wiped it off and put it back in her bra.
I didn't know what breast cancer was at the time. Nanny M had breast cancer and this was her artificial boob. I think back now and laugh at how naive I was but a kid is a kid.
Later that night just as we were going to bed I heard someone banging at the door. Nanny M checked and it was my dad. I use to like to sleep next to him on a mattress when we stayed but this night I felt that terror come back.
Nanny M opened the door with the latch still on and she told him to go away and sober up before he could see us. Let's just say he had no intention of waiting. He kicked the door in and pushed past Nanny M She told us to go to her room.
All I could hear was screaming and my little brother we this pants. My nan is a hard lady and she was also very loud so. She was trying to get him to leave. My youngest uncle had gone out that night so he wasn't there to help.
I heard more screaming this time it was my nan in pain. I knew that sound by now.. He was beating his own mother... He dragged her out to the from lawn and beat her really badly she tried to hit back but he was not a small man and she was tiny. One of the neighbors called the police and they came and took him away.
Nanny M rang my mum and told her she was sending us back the next day and what had happened. She told mum to stay away from him that he was crazy. This I think my mum already knew.
We got in a plane the next day and went back home. We always sat with a lovely hostess who would colour in with us and give us biscuits.
We went to Sydney a few times after but when my mum stopped paying and asked that my father pay half we stopped going. He did come to see us though. But the last time I remember we didn't go home to mum for a while..... Let's just say her heart was almost completely broken by then... I will let you know why in my next instalment.
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