Broken Family

Broken Family

It’s a normal day around the Hughes house, children are running and playing in the yard. The only thing on their mind was having fun and being normal children. But, at the end of the day things change.

           The Hughes family consist of Daniel, the father, Louise, the mother, and four children, Daniel Jr., Sue, Odell, and Wayne. For many years the family was like any other family who was always busy with sports, girl scouts and family outings. The family was always close, but through the year’s things changed.

             Daniel and Louise split up and they split custody 50/50 of all the children. Daniel Jr., Sue, Odell, and Wayne would stay with Louise during the school year and stay with Daniel in the summer. These arrangements went well for a while, over time Daniel got remarried. Louise seemed to resent Daniel for moving on with his life. She began to take it out on the children each time they would come home from Daniels. Sue seemed to gain the most resentment from Louise as she was closest to Daniel.

           One summer day Daniel had taken to the children to a family reunion for his new wife’s family. The children were nervous as they didn’t know anyone there. Sue was sitting outside by herself when the most handsome boy came over and started talking to her he told her his name was Paul and would like to get to know her. They exchanged phone numbers and promised to stay in touch. When Sue went back to Louise’s house, she would call Paul, Louise would yell at Sue to get off the phone and refused to let her talk to Paul. It was as if she didn’t want anyone else to be happy since she could not hold her marriage together.

           Sue continued to call Paul when Louise was at work and eventually Louise found out and everyday became an argument between the two. When it came time for Sue to go back to Daniel’s Louise would threaten Sue and tell her she could not see or talk to Paul while she was there. This did not stop Sue from contacting and see Paul while at Daniel’s. They love grew between Sue and Paul and when Louise found out she told Sue to get out and just live with Daniel and never come back.

           Sue moved in with Daniel and continued to go to school and things went well for a while. As the love grew between Sue and Paul they eventually got married. Sue invited Louise, but she refused to come. Months went by and Sue reached out to Louise and they eventually started talking again. Things seem to get better, and Sue and Paul had their first child Meshelle.

           Louise was happy at first, but this changed as the years went by and Sue and Daniel had another child Nicole. The second child looked like Paul and Louise could not stand it and the problems between Sue and Louise surfaced again. Sue knew Louise could not stand Paul, but she never thought she would take it out on the baby.

           Over the years Meshelle and Nicole grew and had children of their own. Louise loved and cherished Meshelle’s child but resented Nicole’s child Ellis. She would push him away every time he came around and he eventually grew enough to understand what was going on. He would always ask what he did wrong? Nicole and Sue would tell him it was just how Louise was and stay away from her.

           Sue tried to have a relationship with Louise with hopes she would eventually accept Paul and Ellis. Every holiday the children would get together with Louise and Sue would always think in the back of her mind that each time would be different, and Louise would have something to do with Paul and Ellis. This did not happen things only got worse. Louise would talk to others and complain about Paul and Ellis and call Ellis a bastard child. Sue found out what was Louise said and confronted her. Of course, Louise denied calling him that.

           Years past with nothing changing and family would tell Sue how bad Louise was talking about Ellis. Sue could not believe Louise could not accept Ellis and love him as a child deserved. Sue tried talking to Louise, without getting anywhere she would cry for Ellis and wander how a great-grandmother could treat a child that way. As Ellis got older, he tried his hardest to get attention from Louise. Louise eventually started talking to Ellis sometimes, but Sue could tell things were still different. Louise would love on the other children but never Ellis.

           One Easter the family gathered at Wayne’s house for an Easter egg hunt and cookout. All was going well, and everyone was having a good time. Ellis walked over to Louise and went to give her a hug and she pushed him away and told him “get away bastard child”, Ellis ran away crying. Ellis went up to Nicole and asked, “why is Louise always mean to him”? Louise was unaware that Sue was standing behind the tree she was sitting under and heard what she had said to Ellis and seen him run away crying. This was unacceptable to Sue and she confronted Louise in front of everyone. Of course, Louise tried denying she said that and called Ellis a liar. However, this time Sue had heard it herself and there was no denying it. Sue and Louise started yelling at each other and Louise kept denying it. Sue had had enough, she told Louise “that just because she could not make her marriage work and she did not like Paul and couldn’t accept Nicole because she looked like Paul Ellis did not deserve to be treated the way she was treating him”. Sue told Louise “Ellis was a child and did not ask to be born and he should be treated just like all children should”.  “He should be loved and accepted and be happy and no child should ever cry asking why someone calls him that and treats him the way she does”. Sue then told Louise “that Paul and Nicole were grown adults and could defend themselves, but Ellis was a child and needed someone to defend him”. “that of she could not accept that then she would never see either Sue, Paul or their children and grandchildren again”. Louise replied, “that’s fine with me”.

           Sue and Paul loaded their children and grandchildren up and drove away and never looked back. Ellis cried all the way home asking, “what he did wrong why does Louise hate him”? Sue assured Ellis that he did nothing wrong and he would never have to see Louise again and she could not hurt him anymore.

           Years went by and Ellis would still ask about Louise wandering why he was treated that way. Eventually Ellis began to put it behind him and never asked about her again. If he seen pictures of Louise, he would say “that’s the mean woman”.

           Sue’s brothers tried through the years to get Sue to call and reach out to Louise and reconcile their differences. The answer was and is still the same “NO” she made her bed she can lie in it. Nicole went on to have two more children and Sue’s brothers would show Louise pictures. Louise would try and reach out wanting to see the two children and get to know them. Sue and Nicole refused to let Louise back into their lives with fears of what it would do to Ellis. He has come so far putting what happened behind him and they refused to let Louise back in fearing Louise would continue treating him that way. It has been 10 years without Louise in their lives and things are so much better.