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| image courtesy photobucket. |
The details were not clear to me, but the story my mother-in-law told was that she had won a beautiful mink stole in a “Raffle.”
I remember how proudly she wore it to church and it was truly a remarkable addition to her wardrobe.
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| image courtesy photobucket |
Thinking back to other times when she “fell,” and there were broken ribs and one time a broken arm caused me alarm. Not being satisfied with her answer I kept after her until she admitted that her older teen age son, had smacked her good one.
Apparently she had tried to stop him from going through her purse looking for money and he got very angry.
In her way of thinking she believed the lie, that she was at fault, and deserved this type of treatment.
You and I know the truth. No one deserves abuse.
Thinking to myself, I know that boys want to be just like their dad, and when they continually view their dad hit their mother, it seems easy for them to do likewise.
Things were getting worse in the home with the men and boys drinking on the week ends. There were times that her husband instead of hitting her would use other insulting methods.
One new approach was for her husband to take his knife and rip up her good dresses that she wore to church. My mother-in-law treasured nice clothes, and for them to be cut into small pieces was a cruel and malicious abuse of another kind.
As I visited her on that day she went into her closet and returned with her precious mink stole. “Here,” she said, “I want you to have my mink stole, because I know you will take care of it.”
Reading between the lines, I knew exactly what she was thinking, so I accepted her gift and took it home. Even today it still hangs in my closet protected.
A short time later she came to live with us bringing with her the youngest son. As time went by, her husband received some counseling from our pastor, and they decided to get back together and return to Tennessee, hoping for a new life.
In a way I was glad, but as they prepared to leave California, I told her, “I am not letting you take 12 year old Douglas; he is staying with me, because it will be best for him.” There was no arguing with me because she knew it was true.
I wish I could tell you that all was honey and roses after that, but the change did some good for her and the family.
A year later they returned to California, but I told her again, Douglas is staying with us, and he did for a total of five years. When he was seventeen he decided to move back home with his parents. He loved his mother and was a blessing to her in her final years.
This post has been linked with Joan Davis Sharing His Beauty
Also shared at Hazel’s new Blog party Tell me a True Story at: http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/
