Child Abuse Story From Johnson
by Johnson
(USA)
Well...this is part child abuse story and partially being a witness to abuse. At first, I was really confused about witnessing it, because I was pretty young, only five, where I am in my early teens now...
My mother had a best friend named T. who always seemed like such a nice woman, but I did not know her well. My mother and father were both in the military and my dad had to work during the day while my mother was deployed somewhere on the east coast back when I was about five. My mom and him agreed to let T. babysit me. She had a seven-year-old son named L. L was sort of a teasing boy, lack of manners so to speak. We got along, but not always. His mom, if we did something wrong, would make threats to throw us out on the streets naked...I wasn't quite sure if she was joking or not. One day, L. talked back to his mother. T. got very angry and dragged him down the hall and threw him into another room. She screamed at him while he cried, demanding him to strip, and then she left the room, returning with a belt. I was too young and confused to fully grasp what was happening. I heard painful sounds of a belt being whipped and fearful cries from down the hall...She then led him into the living room where I sat on the couch and told him to sit next to me. He was only in his underwear. I didn't know what to feel as I watched him cry, body and face red from the belt whips.
I cannot remember if this was in the same day or not, but her son and I were outside playing baseball. It was enjoyable until I accidentally hit him with the ball. He started screaming and I told him that I was sorry for hitting him. Not a second later, T. rushed out and started yelling at me. I continually pleaded with her, explaining that it was an accident, but she dragged me back into the house, and threw me into a spare bedroom, spitting and screaming in my face, commanding me not to cry. She proceeded to leave me in there for however long and lock the door. I think the crying wore me out to the point where I had to nap. Any other accounts of abuse from this woman, I could not recall. She would stay at my house until four in the morning as my father's lover while my mom was away, using me as a cover-up. (I do know that my father smacked me for mouthing off to her. I think that I was too young to explain my hatred for her.) My mom eventually figured out about this from the neighbors, and refused to let her babysit me after all this marriage and relationship crap was settled with my parents. I did not know this at the time. They moved away before I told, and I would occasionally think about the son, the gravity of the situation only making itself clear in recent years. I wonder what would have changed for L. if I told about the abuse sooner. I feel guilty about it now. I wonder where they are and if he is still at the mercy of his mother...I surely hope not.
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