He arrived home one early evening to see his youngest daughter cleaning one of her shoes at their front porch. She was very quiet which is unusual when she always greets him with a "Hello Daddy" and a bright smile that her eyes nearly close, looking as though they've just been slit with the thinnest of a blade.
He knew right then that there was something wrong so he made her stop, carried her to their living room then asked how she was doing. She burst into tears voicing out many of her predicaments of not having a mom in their house.
She confided having seen their mother in the neighborhood twice. That the mother was with another person and they passed by when the kids were at the front street. "But why did she not stop and say hello at least?" she asked. "And why didn't you choose a good mommy for us, Dad?" she queried further with much pain in her eyes.
That was the scene I imagined as my brother narrated the most recent happenings in their home with his two young girls. He and his wife separated when the girls were just 3 and 5. Their mom wherever she is, never said hello to them in years (even on the phone). Now 7 and 9, they seem to have been carrying the anguish in their hearts and they poured them all out that evening.
Their poor Dad nearly broke as he shared the story of them 3 crying through the night when we met in the city a few weeks ago. And then there was me rubbing more salt into the wound when I asked, "so what did you say soon after?"
"Would you have said anything?" my brother threw the question back. It got me to thinking mode, tried to put myself into his shoes and it occurred to me that there isn't any word that would come out of my mouth. I learned there and then that it's really tough. And it's painful too, knowing that the kids have been feeling so left out.
It's Wednesday up here and I still found myself choking up as I thought about the little girl's questions. But I know their father has the wisdom and hopefully get them to understand the situation that they are currently facing.
Lead image is my own. 22022023/10:25ph