The Sad Fate of Maria: You Need To Hear Her Story
I am sharing my story, in the hopes of inspiring others to be strong enough to leave a situation that is detrimental to one’s health, happiness and growth. The story starts in the eyes of a three-year-old girl named Maria, longing for the care of her fourteen-year-old mother. Unfortunately, my mother wasn’t capable of showing care and affection due to her inability to even care for herself, let alone a child. My mother was lured it the arms of a man, 30 years older than her. At the time, she was just eighteen; shouldn’t that signal a red flag? Perhaps not, maybe he was a good and genuine guy right with the right intentions? What harm could he be? This man showered my mother with gifts, cars, and attention. He filled the void she had been trying to fill since she lost her mother. So what’s wrong with my mother being pampered by a man? This man had an ulterior motive – get close enough to people to make them let their guard down and then he went after what he really wanted – ME!
Screaming and wailing for my mom to not leave me alone with him did not affect her; she was too busy partying. The door slamming shut behind her, gave him the ultimate opportunity to exploit me and molest me; he takes it! The abuse continued unabated until one day, the police were involved and I was saved or was I? They questioned me. I told them things no five-year-old should dare to know. Things that were highly inappropriate even for an adult but they didn’t take me seriously. Threatening to strap me to a machine that will seek the truth out of me. I retracted my statements about all the abuse I endured and I was dragged out of the police room with no one to care for me. I was forced to move to a shit hole of a town. The abuse continues, and there is no way out. Attempts at ending my ordeal with this man fail. I had to endure this nightmare, all because my mother had it rough and so this was my cross. It’s only fair, right?
But it isn’t fair, and a new friend on the block know it isn’t fair or right so I open up to her and she immediately tells her family. The abuse might be over, am I free? My friend has older brothers who looked intimidating. They approach the door of my tormentor’s house; waiting for the wretched man to answer. The look on his face is unforgettable. How does it feel? The police arrive and once again, I am up against the people who failed me before. I try to run; I am terrified; I am alone; I am weak. But I follow through. They question me, all too familiar; they inspect me. But this time, they decide to save me from my nightmare and so they take him away.
My mother was not there or aware of all that was happening; she was at work. The police picked her up and informed her about what was going on. But she is just worried about how she will make ends meet and why couldn’t I have done this later? Of course, she doesn’t say this to the cops. She doesn’t even have an ounce of remorse. The words “Don’t tell them I knew” leave her mouth, and I am lost for words.
Maria was gone a long time ago. She finds ways to suppress the sad fate and painful memories created in her childhood. My suffering continues to this day and it defines me. It made me the person I am. I failed many times, allowed men to mistreat me; after all, it was all I knew. I left my mother shortly after that terrible man was caught, and never thought of looking back. I am unable to live a normal life; it is filled with paranoia, depression, anxiety, you name it. Never have I received an apology. Am I even surrounded by people who truly care? It seems all I attract are people who are dysfunctional and negative; slowly sucking the life out of me…slowly killing me, and everything I ever dreamed of being.. but I fight! I fight to be stronger better and be the reason one has hopes to strive for more; to find the strength that I lost a long time ago. That’s all I want and all that drives this little dysfunctional Maria.
