We live in a small condo building on a dead end street that is quiet and so is the neighborhood our street is on.
Our street is quiet enough for me to hear a neighbor who lives in a building diagonally across from ours.
This neighbor is a woman who happens to be both a wife and a mother to now 5 year old twin girls.
They live on the second floor and due to the foliage in front of their balcony I can’t quite see them but I can hear her. Oh boy can I hear her.
I’m not sure if she either has alcohol or mental (or both) problems but she often yells at both girls, and I have seen her yell and beat her husband in their garage which I have a perfect view to.
So, several times I have called the police because it kills me that these two little girls have to witness these crazy disputes between their crazy mother and their always mild and quiet mannered father.
Sunday night I looked out our balcony and there were 3 police cars on our street.
My stomach sunk and I just knew that somebody other than me had called the police and they were there for the same reason I had called them for in the past.
This time, within 10 minutes of me standing on our balcony, they took her.
As her girls screamed “we love you mommy” from their balcony, in handcuffs she screamed back “I will be back shortly”.
Yesterday morning while Lily ate breakfast, I heard one of the twins scream and cry as her father tried to put her in the car. “No daddy! I don’t want to go!”
I cannot get it out of my head.
It kills me to know that this is the way these two girls have to grow up.
I know it happens everywhere-every day but, I guess because I can see and hear it, it has affected me differently.
And it makes me so sad…
I read a very discouraging article that said twins are statistically more likely to be in situations like this, because the first years of their lives take such a big financial and emotional toll on the parents. The children experience higher rates of divorce, neglect, abuse. Hopefully, this family and those two little girls are going to get help because of you and other neighbors calling authorities.
@Hanna,
let me tell you that even though i have called the cops myself, it didn’t feel good watching her be taken away while those little girls called out for their mother. it’s all so sad
My heart goes out two these two little girls and to you Claudia for having to witness this. All I could think of, is this beautiful song by the great Natalie Merchant… What’s the matter here?
@Yoly,
i totally remember that song.
I see this kind of stuff ALL THE TIME because I teach. The stories are heartbreaking. And the number of parents incarcerated will blow your mind. Poor babies.
@Cindy,
you have one of the hardest jobs. i can’t even imagine
oh this just broke my heart, I really really really hope that she (the mom) is able to get some help, counseling….something….that getting help is the best thing she could ever give her children.
@Jess,
help would be the best thing but who knows what she/they will do….
So sad, these are the kind of things that I just can’t believe, I really hope that the mom could find some help and straight her way….. and hope that the twins could have a better life full of love an good moments that could help them leave behind all the bad and sad moments……I understand the way you feel it’s so sad..