LIES, LIES, LIES c 2010 jOjO
I don’t often write fiction, but once in a while I like to flex my writing muscles and engage in it. Here is a piece I wrote today.
What can be worse I wonder, than finding out your parents aren’t really your parents? Yes, there is something worse than that, finding out your parents whom you’ve loved and trusted all your life, are… kidnappers, who stole you from a pram parked outside a store, while the mother popped in to buy a loaf of bread.
My house is swarming with policemen, bearing a warrant for my mother’s arrest. She’s standing there, arms handcuffed behind her back, looking at me with tears pouring down her cheeks, eyes begging me to understand. To forgive.
I’m a 12 year old boy – how am I supposed to understand the turmoil that’s going on right now? How can I forgive the lie that’s been my entire life, the sense of horror I feel to know my mother was capable of committing such a dreadful act, condemning a woman to 12 years of hell, not knowing what happened to her baby? Not knowing if he was alive or dead? Being well treated or abused? How could my mother do that to another woman?
Just then Dad walks in from work. I try to rush forward to run to him “Dad…” but a policeman clamps a firm hand on my shoulder. “No lad, don’t. Be still. I promise you everything is going to be fine.”
How can anything ever be fine again? I’m about to lose the only parents I have, the only home I’ve ever known. I feel as if I’m drowning in a sea of anguish and despair.
I look at Dad and in his eyes I see… pain… defeat …realization and that his most dreaded fears have become reality. He knew – he knew all along what Mum had done, and had lived this lie, every single day.
How many times had my Mum said to me “Johnny, you are just like your Dad?” “Johnny, you inherited your love of music from me.” Lies… lies …. all of it lies. The pain of it is almost unbearable. The people I loved most in my life are liars and kidnappers.
Another policeman steps forward. “Mr. Holstrom, you are under arrest …” the policeman goes on reading out the arrest warrant, and warning Dad that anything he says can and will be used as evidence against him, but I don’t listen. This can’t be happening to me – it just can’t – but it is.
Dad too is handcuffed, and the policeman escorts him and Mum to the car.
I try to follow. Once again, the same policeman holds me back. He leads me to the sofa, sits me down beside him and puts an arm around my shoulders. I bury my face into his shoulder and sob uncontrollably. He doesn’t say anything – just hugs me close and pats me gently.
I’m not Johnny Holstrom anymore – so who am I? What’s going to happen to me? Where am I going to live? What’s to become of me?
My whole world lies in ruins around me.
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Senior Chatters
There are moments like this in everyones life when we think that sky is going to fall on our head. This is life..often crule and mysterious face of life.
Jojo your posting is like a poem with a back ground of real life story which makes us think about this life all around..you write so simple but so true and meaningful too..
Yes Sathya, there are many times in our lives when we feel desperate and lost. But it’s much worse for a child in a position of helplessness, and that’s what I was trying to convey.
Thanks so much for your comment.
What an insight into the other side of the story – the kidnapped child’s story – brilliant jojo
Thanks so much for your comment foreveryoung – I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Wow, Jojo – Powerful.
Thanks so much for your comment bluesky – I really appreciate it. I tried to convey how it must feel to a child, to suddenly realize his whole life has changed, not knowing what’s ahead for him. How terrifying that would be.
What an awful feeling for a child. Makes you wonder about adoptive parents that don’t tell their child the story of their adoption and wait til they’re older. I wonder if those children would feel the same about the lies or omissions?
Mom was raised by her mother’s sister and her husband at the age of 2 months, when her mother died. Mom had 2 sisters and a brother who stayed with her father. She always knew about her real parents and her brother and sisters. And we have also known, my siblings and myself; so being adopted is a sign of love. Those are the grandparents where i stayed for several months before graduation. I adored my grandparents and they will always be my grandparents.
Nice writing jojo, gets me thinking again. Thanks.
I entirely agree with you David – I can’t begin to imagine how devastating it must be for a child to face this situation. I was most interested to read that your Mom was raised by her aunt and uncle, having sadly lost her own Mom at such a tender age.
We have an adopted daughter, and she’s known since the get go that she was adopted, and accepted it as a token of how much we wanted her. She’s never had any issues about it as a result.
It’s wonderful that you adored your grandparents and were close to them. My kids didn’t have the benefit of loving grandparents. My parents lived in Brazil, and although my mother-in-law lived literally just down the road (father-in-law died a long time ago) she never ever took any interest in her grandchildren.
Thanks so much for your comment – I really appreciate it.
Nice jojo makes me wonder how I would feel ,as they are the parents who showed me the world I know.now it is crashing down!
Thanks so much macathy for your comment. I can only imagine how devastating it must be for a child to suddenly lose the only parents and home he’s ever known.
great story jojo!
I’m delighted you enjoyed my blog msscooter – and thanks so much for your comment.
Jo your ficton brought tears to my eyes, some of it wasn’t ficton to me. Congratulations in achieving your goal through a childs eyes, well done.
Thanks so much for your kind comments Skippy – I really appreciate them. I’m so glad you enjoyed my blog