Part 2: Better the devil you know.
3: Foster Home Number one
Now we were only young but we were suspiscious straight away by all white under garments. Of course we had no idea what it could mean and I still can't say for sure, but we knew it had contributed to the bahavioural problems of their son, who was very hard to get along with, as Daniel found out regularly when they fought.
O.K. so all white undies doesn't concern you so much...well how about this then...
One very hot Sunday we were dressed up to the nines and Daniel was forced to wear a hot woollen cardigan. He had already been growled at once for asking if he could take it off, and was now left playing in the sandpit with their son. Although neither got dirty from their romp in the sand with the Tonka trucks, Daniel was severly yelled at for attempting to get grubby.
I can still see Daniel (age 3 approx) standing in the direct sunlight requesting again to remove the coat to no avail. I'll never forget his little hot flushed and confused face as we were all bundled into their even hotter car.
They took us along to their church and we ended up in age seperated sunday schools.
Being older I was fairly assertive and resourceful so I snuck off to find Daniel who was not too far away. I took off the jacket and let him commence socializing merrily before I returned to my own bible bashing session.
Another memory I have of being in their care was even stranger. I was sitting in the loungeroom when the woman jumped up and began peering out the front window snakely as she drew tight the curtains. The man joined her in this paranoid episode. They are both watching a car which is parked across the road.
Then they herd us all out the back using exaggerated whispers that frighten the two boys, out the backdoor, over the back fence and along to a neighbours house.
I learn't later that it was a very close and trusted friend of our family who had come to see us and to make sure we were alright, but for obvious reasons didn't get the chance. I'm convinced that this family were paranoid and delusional, possibly child abusers using religion as a "good, respectable people" cover.
Luckily for us we never found out what their deal was as eventually one of our uncles came to get us and we were reunited with a fresh faced mother.
4. Womens Refuges
For the next little while we were in and out of womens refuges and had our fair share of trouble in each.
The Lismore womens refuge was a popular choice as it was close to Lismore Base Hopital and was children friendly. Living there was like being part of one big happy family. Everyone took turns in cooking and cleaning and all us kids got to play all day long in the backyard where there was a sandpit, an art'n'craft room, toys galore, and the best tyre swing in the world.
continues...bipolar3.html
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