The next morning, I awoke to the smell of bacon coming from the kitchen. As I walked downstairs, I smelled my mother's familiar perfume before I saw her, standing in the kitchen with an apron on and Mariah on her chest.
The thoughts of her being a better role model to Mariah than she ever was to me hurt me to my soul. My spirit could not find rest knowing that one day, just one day, Mariah would want to be like this person instead of her own mother.
As I was about to turn around and walk away, my mother spoke. At first, I started to ignore her, but I decided to hear her out. After all, I had treated her wrong enough for now.
"Good morning, babygirl. How are you? Sit, sit, have some breakfast. I made eggs, toast, bacon, biscuits, chicken and waffles. I forgot what you like so take your pick. I've already given Mariah her bottle."
She sits down across from me, grabs my hands, and looks me in the eyes. "Listen to me and listen to me good. I'm sorry. I know I wasn't...haven't been the mother I should be. I never should have left you in that house with him. Baby I just saw a chance to escape. When I saw that the both of you were gone and the nurse discharged me, I took that opportunity because I knew I would never have another one. You will never understand how selfish I was."
Her eyes were swollen with tears that soon escaped. "I wanted to come back for you. That night, I was looking in the window while you slept. I tried to open it, reach in, and pull you out. I wanted to free you as much as I was free.
Ms. Louise took me in. I knocked from door to door. I was so afraid but it was hard for me to accept the fact that maybe I would have to go back to that devilish house. Please forgive me love. I never meant to put you through so much pain. Forgive me baby."
"I just don't understand. If you loved me, why would you leave me in that house with that monster. Did you think that he wouldn't hurt me? He hurt you! Did that run through your mind when you left your only child? He hurt you, and because you weren't there, he hurt me! Do you hear me?! You jus..."
"You don't understand! I had to make choices. If I risked going back to get you he would know. He would know I came back, he would have tracked us down, and then what?! Huh, then what?!!"
I could not respond to her. There was no way to say all that was on my chest. At that point all I could do was grab my daughter and go to my room. Mariah could not be exposed to this type of heated argument.
YOU ARE READING
Hanging By A Thread
Teen Fiction7-year-old Mykelah Blackburn has been a witness to her father's substance abuse and domestic violence. He has always went for her mother, but one day things changed seeing as her mother was in the hospital and it was just the two- father ans daughte...
