The Kidnapping

Sometimes in order to understand where you’re going you need to understand where you’ve been. I realize that I’m not the only one whose life growing up was anything but stellar. My brother once told me you gotta play with the cards life has dealt you. Some of us didn’t get the best cards at the table but we didn’t fold.

My parents were married as teenagers with my Mom being the youngest of the two. Mom was a stunningly beautiful woman. She could have been a movie star she was that beautiful. With that kind of beauty comes lots of temptations and there was always temptations.

Mom divorced my Dad and married another man. Dad lost everything, his wife and two kids. My sister was older and I was just a toddler but I remember the events that night.

Mother had moved us to my grandparents home In Lufkin Texas as she waited for her newly married husband to send for her and us two kids. He was a military man stationed in Glendale Arizona.

With divorce often comes a train wreck of emotions. Dad had struggled with the loss. I mean it hit him really hard. One evening he showed up at my grandparents home and walked through the front door unannounced.

He was armed with a handgun in his waistband and made it clear he was going to take his children back. My Mom became extremely emotional and was lunging to fight him physically. Her brother who was our uncle physically restrained her. He was holding her back with all his might. He most likely saved all our lives that day.

When my Dad walked in I didn’t even know who he was. I guess they had been separated and divorced for over a year or more and his recollection was erased in my mind. My grandparents understood how dangerous this encounter was and kept quiet.

Dad carefully took my Sister and myself to his car. He opened up the backdoor and put me in. As he reached for my Sister I made an attempt to escape but he caught me and put me back in. The police weren’t called in fear in his emotional state he would kill us all.

He took off with us. Mom and my grandparents gave chase in their vehicle but giving him distance so as not to follow to closely. Dad realized he was being followed decided to stop and drop my Sister off on the side of the road.

She was immediately picked up and they let Dad continue on to go on without being followed. Mom was pretty sure she knew where he was taking me. They decided it was best to let things cool down.
I remember experiencing a sadness as a child. Remembering how my Mom was crying before we left.

Dad took me to his Mom’s which was my Grandmother’s where I was there for three days. I’m pretty sure my Grandmother wasn’t aware how all this went down. She took care of me that three days. I played and tried to make the best of it but I was saddened.

Mom eventually did get with the police and she wanted them to retrieve me. The police agreed to a plan for them to get my Dad outside of the house and talk to him basically distracting him. While she went around back and retrieved me.

I remember sitting on the floor of the kitchen playing when I saw her come in. I immediately erupted in tears and cried out as she grabbed me and ran out. I had been rescued. Not long afterwards we were thousands of miles away and we dropped off the radar.

Dad moved in with my Grandmother which was the best thing he could do. Because she was a God fearing woman and she began helping him mentally through this difficult process. I’m thankful Mom didn’t file charges on him. He needed counseling but he didn’t deserve jail.

Of course looking back some 65 years ago I was just a toddler. Today both my parents are gone so I can speak freely. Dad had married my Mother when she was just too young. Mother on the other hand fell in love with another man. I’m sure there was some strong enticing going on from my Stepfather. So if I were to apply blame it would have to fall evenly on all three adults.

I’m not a lawyer or anything but I think in some states today judges won’t let the parent with custody of the children to run out of state with them. I think if Dad had felt he would have regular visitation rights he would have kept his emotions in check and had some kind of agreement.

Eventually Dad was able to convince Mom and my Stepdad to move to Houston after he left the military. Which they did and we began to see our Dad every two weeks and enjoy being with him.

Years later he came to see my Mom on her death bed. I was there as he came in the hospital room and held her hand. Dad never cried from what I remembered. He cried that day and in his own way told her never stopped loving her.

To love someone who did you wrong and to forgive them is the most highest love there is. My mom cheated on him I believe but she was very young and beautiful in those troublesome days. She dealt with her own guilt the rest of her life living as a prescription drug addict and dying a horrible death.