Bruises From Someone You Loved

As a young child I regularly saw and heard my siblings being “disciplined” by our violent father. Who would overreact to usual childhood misbehaviour.

I was just a small kid when I would regularly heard him screaming at my mother late at night, and often saw her with bruises. It was surprising and confusing

He would go out of his way to show charity and compassion to people outside his family, but seemed to lack generosity in time and resources for his children.

His abuse affected us all, with some of my siblings going on to repeat this violence, or endure it in other forms, in their own, often dysfunctional, relationships.

He physically abused us until I was almost out of primary school. At this point, my father’s physical abuse of my mother ceased, but his emotional and financial abuse continued, if not increased. I wish I could remember my father as someone who really loves me. Although I just remember him as someone who caused me so much pain and scars than I can never forget.