Member-only story
When I was three I was dancing in the living room. I accidentally knocked over the bowl of water my mother was using to wash my little sister. She punished me by calling me names and then making me stay in a room on my own. I didn’t understand what was happening. All I knew was that my clothes were soaked and I didn’t mean to make my mommy angry.
At some point, she decided it was okay for me to join the rest of the family.
“You alright?” she asked.
“I’m fine,” I replied.
When I was five I ran ahead with my friends on the way back from school. My mom called me and I returned to her side immediately. When we got home she screamed “a man could have grabbed you and taken you away. Don’t you dare run off again.” Then she pulled down my trousers and pants and smacked the back of my legs. I cried, but my feelings were hurt more than my legs were.
At some point, she decided she wasn’t angry anymore. She demanded I come and give her a hug.
“You alright?” she asked
I’m fine,” I replied
When I was nine I was watching the tv when my cartoons were interrupted by the news. A plane had crashed into the twin towers. Whilst I was distracted, my three-year-old sister was playing with my nan’s handbag. She…
