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The Father She Never Knew

A mother's love knows no Boundaries

By Claudia RodriguezPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 9 min read
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If walls could talk

25 years had passed since she last visited her hometown, almost everything was the same, she knew the roads like the back of her hand, but the fear of what had made her leave and kept her away all this time still played in her mind. Those memories never left; they had remained quite alive thru the years. But now she was back and that old fear was still present, “Stop! you know it’s over” after all the one that had haunted her all her life was finally gone. Her mother's life was finally free of pain.

The year was 1985, she was only fifteen years old, looking to find all that was promised to her in the magazines that she read at the town’s only general store, Mrs. Dominguez always let her read one magazine, so long as she agreed to do one delivery on her way home at the end of the day.

Nancy was the child of a single mother who ran a farm just outside of town, and Nancy attended school in town having just started high school, it was a bike ride away and she was happy with the plan she had made of working at the general store after school, then doing her homework while she waited for the bakery to have the evening bread for her to bring home, her mother wanted her to learn all she could and then get out of town and move to the big city and become the writer Nancy always talked about. It was a good plan she loved the farm and was happy there with her mother but the thought of becoming a writer and be part of those magazines she always read was so thrilling and glamorous. Nancy dreamt of going to the big city and getting her degree and signing on with a big publisher and coming back home to be a writer like those famous authors she read about, who lived outside of the city but had great works for the world to read.

The farm her mother owned was a family farm where they grew avocados, and in California that was a big deal, they also had chickens and horses and pigs, but it was avocados that made their farm a well-known farm in town, and the towns nearby. The family name was known in town and the family members that had stayed were her mother and uncle and her cousin, the other members of the family had left for the big city and her grandparents had passed away when she was only 10 years old.

One evening as she got home from the store, she noticed all the lights were on and there were several cars parked outside, she parked her bike and made her way into the house as she made her way toward the main house, she noticed that the old barn to the left of the house was also filled with light. She walked over and found her mother surrounded by people she did not know, her uncle and her cousin were there too. Her mother looked very scared, and her uncle motioned to her to go back out, when her mom saw her, she turned pale, and began pleading with the man standing in front of her. Nancy could not understand what was happening, why was her mother scared, the strong woman that was Veronica looked so small and frail next to the men in suits that spoke all at once and were stopped by the one standing next to her mom. He was a big man dressed in an expensive suit and looking very menacing. He spoke and his voice was deep and resonating, Nancy walked closer to her mother, but was stopped by one man, her uncle walked to her and asked to go to her room in as quiet a voice as he could.

Frank looked over, “Stay this concerns you too. See we are here to claim the Farm it has become the property of the bank and it is time to go. You must vacate the land by midnight tonight.” He said to them. Nancy was frozen she had no way of knowing the situation was that bad. “Frank please there must be another way, we can’t just leave this land it was my parents and my grandparents' before that, you grew up here! Your parents were our neighbors, help us save it.” Veronica pleaded. Frank looked at her got up and walked to the door, “As I said before I can’t help you unless you agree to my terms.” Veronica looked at him and back at her daughter who was still frozen by the door unable to understand what was happening.

Frank looked at Veronica and then turned to Nancy and without flinching announced: “The wedding is on Sunday or pack your bags.” Then turned to leave; as he walked out he said: “Fix the barn we can have the wedding here. I will be back on Saturday!”. The men left and all was chillingly quiet, after the last car drove off. Nancy finally asked her mother what had just happened. “Who is that and what was he talking about? What wedding? What does he mean vacate? Like move out, Are we homeless? She was so scared and felt like her mom was not answering her. Her uncle had been standing nearby and tried to get her to calm down. But all she wanted was answers. Veronica finally found her voice and began explaining to her daughter what had just happened. Nancy finally walked out to the main house, and her uncle was packing a bag and her cousin Tim was already in the truck, they refused to stay, and told Veronica that she should do the same. Mark and Tim left after letting Nancy know that she could join them any time New Mexico. The wedding took place on Sunday as Frank had stated and the only guests were the same group of men that had come with him 3 days before.

Nancy was angry but tried to understand her mother, she was scared of Frank. One week after the wedding the farm was renovated more trees were planted, new equipment was bought, and the barn, Nancy’s hideout was also updated it now included a corner chair and a small desk. Frank said it was for her to continue to write. He seemed nice and her mother was so distant now that Nancy hardly spoke to her, as her junior year came around Nancy noticed that her mother kept to herself much of the time, she only spoke to Nancy to ask how her day was, and how was school if she had picked a college to go to after her senior year. Frank was running the farm, and Veronica was a housewife. Nancy was not aware of the darkness living in their home. It all seemed tense and quiet but not aggressive, no fights, arguments, nothing it was normal she thought.

To the right side of the main house, way back past the first row of trees was another barn it was old and almost forgotten, here is where Frank secretly conducted his meetings. The place was so secluded that nobody would ever think to look here for the group. The barn served as a fight club where all his friends came to have some underground fights.

Frank had come back after 10 years to settle in and start his business here in the town where he was raised and had been sent away from; for being a bully. One who was the cause of every broken nose and bone in town. He was set on making the town his land, getting all members converted to what he believed was the way of life; “eat of the land” he said, “give to the land” he said, it started with the money had made while he was away, and the money he came back with gave him the power to move around town with ease. But behind closed doors, he was the cause of Veronica being quiet. No visible bruises, no arguments, no fights, “Leave no marks” was his motto.

Nancy discovered that her mother was in a troubled relationship only after she was sent to school with her uncle in another state. Her mother arranged to have her move there and become an author like she had dreamed of. One day on a holiday weekend she came home to surprise her mom, she found her in bed with a broken leg. She asked what happened and veronica told her that she fell and that was all. They talked about what was going on in Nancy’s life, veronica had just finished telling her to leave when Frank walked in. He was drunk and without a warning paced over to Nancy and punched her in the stomach and began yelling at Veronica, who was getting out of bed to tend to Nancy. He said that nobody was supposed to be there, Veronica got up and grabbed Nancy out of the room, they left Frank there alone mumbling about this being his private space. Veronica grabbed a cane and walked her daughter outside, she hugged her and begged her to leave stating that as long as she was away it would all be ok. Nancy was only 17 years old but understood abuse she begged her mother to leave with her but to no avail, Veronica explained that Nancy had a life away from there that as soon as she graduated high school college would be waiting.

She was back after all this time, her third book was coming out in one week, and her mother had just turned the land over to her. It cost bruises, broken bones and a secluded life, but Veronica saw to it that Nancy would reach her goal of becoming an author. That had been the agreement; marriage to Frank, with the security that her daughter would have a safe life, a secure future and a path to her career goals. Nancy would never know that the monster her mother had married so long ago was her father. He was dead now and the story of her birth was not something she needed to know now. Life would be good for Nancy, with the land her great grandparents had left and her writing, Nancy could share with her family a good life and no monsters to deal with.

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About the Creator

Claudia Rodriguez

I am a nature loving person who finds the indoors quite suffocating after a while, I find inspiration in the beauty of a mountain, the flight of a bird or the soft swaying of a flower in the wind.

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