From the day they were married as teenagers, he mistreated her.<\/p>\n
She wanted out, but he shamed her. He told her nobody else would love her or want her. That she was helpless and hopeless without him.<\/p>\n
One night he hit her so hard he broke something over her head. With threats of death spewing, one of the daughters tried to intervene he hit her too. That was the final straw; and in her agony-turned-strength, she called the police.<\/p>\n
When the police came, they took him to jail and took her and the children to a shelter.<\/p>\n
But after some easy manipulation of the criminal justice system, he walked out free the next day.<\/p>\n
She worked hard to move on with her life. She lived in her own place and got a job. She is responsible and capable and to no one\u2019s surprise but to his utmost jealousy, she performed well.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
The youngest daughter had not yet finished high school. She is smart as a whip, loved to learn and desperately wanted to go to school.\u00a0 Unfortunately years of abuse and the resulting anxiety slowed her down.<\/p>\n
When she finally got to a classroom though, her father would come find her.\u00a0 This was his way of now controlling her and practicing misogyny over her life and her decisions. His constantly showing up at the school to watch her led to even greater disturbance and eventually she was asked to leave the school. It wasn\u2019t safe for her to be there. She wouldn\u2019t return for eight years.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
He stalked her mother at work too. He was worried that she might actually move on with her life. In an effort to control her, shame her and disrupt her life and work, he would show up at work at all hours during her shift. He would act paranoid, wondering if she was with another man; she was terrified he would kill her.\u00a0 Eventually she too was told his incessant presence was hurting business and she could no longer work.<\/p>\n
The weight was unbearable. The kids kept her in it. She knew they needed her; they loved her, they needed each other.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
\u201cWe used to have to whisper to each other in the kitchen, so he wouldn\u2019t hear us,\u201d the youngest daughter said. They wouldn\u2019t sit next to each other so he wouldn\u2019t get suspicious. The fear of his lashing out robbed them of their freedom.<\/p>\n
These women battled. They were bold in seeking help, even after being let down by the justice system. They were brave in leaving once more. When they got connected to Dixon Transition House, everything changed. The fear lingered, and still does, but their safety remains protected and now their strength shines.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are healthy, we are strong, we are out,\u201d she says confidently.<\/p>\n
She wants to go back to work. She\u2019s a talented cook and would love to sell her food.<\/p>\n
Her daughter is back in school, now in her 30s, and just days away from finishing grade 12. The corners of her mouth perk up and her eyes sparkle when she says it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see myself now as grown,\u201d she says. \u201cBefore I was like a helpless infant, always being told what to do and what not to do.\u201d She says she doesn\u2019t think that way anymore.<\/p>\n
Their relationship is strong\u2014stronger than ever. The mother considers her grown children her dearest friends. They cherish her in return. They know how much she endured for them. The whole family has regained its life and freedom; they\u2019re never going back.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not easy. They take things day by day; step by step. Her daughter remembers how many times she wanted to give up.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut my mom always says the light always comes after darkness. We can have our own life, the life we wanted. The past can fade; there is a better life waiting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From the day they were married as teenagers, he mistreated her. She wanted out, but he shamed her. He told her nobody else would love her or want her. That she was helpless and hopeless without him. One night he hit her so hard he broke something over her head. With threats of death spewing, …<\/p>\n