Steemit Blockchain Memory Project - Two little children, Part 1

I want to thank @ericvancewalton for his Steemit Blockchain Memory Project, have really enjoyed sharing my memories of Seaside Holidays with you, plus reading memories of others here as well.

I would like to say that I only have good stories to tell, but unfortunately life’s not always like that, especially if you are someone who cares and have a larger than normal social conscience!
I cannot tell this story in one sitting, but will tell you how it all started.

The beginning
Many of us have at least one black sheep in the family, and sadly this has a ripple effect. I will simply call him Mike, not his real name.
Mike’s second wife who I will call Nicky, was a real kindhearted lady, but she unfortunately had a drug and alcohol addiction. Mike on the other hand had an alcohol and gambling addiction.

When their two children were 5 and 4 respectively, Mike met a new lady and abandoned his wife and children and withdrew from all family ties for a couple of years.
Nicky tried her best but eventually turned to hubby and I, asking if we could take care of the children until she ‘sorted her life out’.

The arrival
We had a spare bedroom which became the children's bedroom; days turned into weeks, but nothing changed for the better with the mother. She met a new man, also a drug addict, fell pregnant, but fortunately gave that baby up for adoption.

The bedroom slowly evolved into one for little children, with toy boxes, books and whatever a small child needs.

However, it was like a hurricane hit our home!
My youngest son was in his final year at school, and it was just before the final exams; my older son was at college.

I was working full-time, and the children continued going to their nursery school so there was no disruption there, but they often did the strangest things.

I will only share this one photo with you, here they both are just before their nursery school sports day, looking like two little angels.

Nothing could be further from the truth however!
These little ones were severely disturbed by all that happened to them the first couple of years of their lives.

Enters Destruction.
They would cut up their clothes, my curtains and tablecloths would be cut near the bottom where it would not be noticed immediately. Toys would be smashed or thrown into the pool. The little boy who I will call Mickey, had long fingers, had a thing for money and wrist watches.

We explained to them that this was their home as long as it took their mother to find her feet, and that they would regularly be given pocket money. We bought Mickey a watch, but things still disappeared from time to time. Mickey would lie without flinching to stay out of trouble.

Before the abandonment.
This behaviour had already started when they were still living with their parents. I believe it was to get attention, even though it was negative attention, as Mom & Dad were too busy partying to even notice their beautiful and talented children!

Social Welfare & therapy.
Both children were sent for assessments by Social Welfare who tried to help. The social worker placed as the children's 'State guardian' would forever change, and the next guardian would try and make sense of the pile of 'cases' on their desks!

The little girl who I will call Jane was severely traumatised by being separated from her mother, however did not need any kind of therapy, but Mickey needed anger management therapy twice a week, till eventually the psychologist said it was no longer necessary.

Big school.
Mickey started big school, and everything seemed to be going well, he was very clever, but also very crafty.

When I went to the first parents’ night and the teacher said she had something to discuss, I knew something was up.

She told me he was always leaving his books at home, I was dumb-struck, he often told me he’d left his books at school, so he was lying to us both!
There were many other complaints as well; he’d thrown a stone through a window and it hit a fan in the classroom, threw another pupil’s satchel over the first floor balcony, etc etc.

I would often find a stash of non-perishable soup ingredients in his bedside pedestal; the school used to collect this to hand out to soup kitchens, perhaps he was saving this for his mother?

The maternal visits.
We were told by Child Welfare that we must allow the children to visit the Mom on weekends, but when they came back from a weekend away one Sunday, Mickey had cigarette burns on his hands! From that day on the mother had to visit them at our house, but when she tried bringing the boyfriend who did this with, the visits changed to the Child Welfare offices.

Needless to say, all of this was a massive disruption in our normally calm household.

Lighthearted moments.
We had some funny moments, like one day when they both were on their best behaviour, Mickey turned to us and said ‘We are not hooligans, we are civilised human beings!’ It was not an easy task getting these two little ones to behave!

We always tried to imprint on them that for every action, there’s a reaction.

Did all this make any difference, did we manage to change their lives?
I will tell you next time, but just to say that this story is not an easy one to tell but necessary.
End of part one.

Original Content by @lizelle
Thank you for stopping by, please comment, upvote and resteem if you enjoyed my post.
All images property of @lizelle except where credit is given.

Team South Africa banner designed by @bearone