We moved again to a neighboring town (about 15 minutes away from Pa's and Nan's house).
We lived in a housing commission area. It was a 3 bedroom brick home and it was brand new. Mum made all the curtains etc. for this nice little house. We had a huge back yard with a clothes line that we would hold on to and swing around (hills hoist) most Aussie kids did it and not many parents were happy about it lol.
We had been there a while when Mum's new boyfriend moved in. If mum yelled at us he would always say
"it's alright love!" We thought he was ok but he wasn't our daddy.
The school holidays were coming up and my father called mum to ask if we could go to Queensland and stay with him at his cousins house (we will call her Aunty Gail). Mum agreed as she wanted us to see our dad and she always hoped he would change for the better. Mum also knew Aunty Gail from when she was growing up so she agreed.
Mum told us the plans that had been made and we were so excited!! We were to be picked up by Aunty Gail's husband (we will call him Paul) in a HUGE semi trailer truck and go with him over night to Queensland where we would meet our dad.
That weekend at about 7pm we were picked up Paul. He was very tall and lean with shoulder length black curly hair. The whole trip was a blur apart from us being able to pull the cord for the horn just to the right of Paul. We also got to sleep in the cabin. Being young it fit us both in with two little curtains that could be pulled together to keep the lights from on coming traffic away from our eyes.
We must have slept for a while as when we woke he said
"won't be long now kids and you'll be seeing your daddy" wow were we excited a truck ride and we got to see our dad!
We stayed at Mt Tamborine (I didn't know where we were then but I do now). I don't remember seeing much of our dad though whilst we were there but I do remember what happened to my poor mother.
One night Aunty Gail got a call from dad. He told her he had been arrested for drink driving and assaulting police offices. The story that is to follow was told to me by my biological father a few years later.
He had been driving drunk and as the police were trying to pull him over he started to drive down the main road in surfers paradise the wrong way. A high speed chase occurred. A police car finally pulled him over. One police office was on my fathers side and the other was on the passenger side of the car. Both officers where asking Paul and dad what their names were. Paul proceeded to tell the truth but my father didn't as he had warrants out for his arrest. My father said his name was Paul.
The officer asked if my father had seen the arrow (stating it was a one way street) and my father ever the smart arse said
"nope, and to tell you the truth I didn't see no Indians either"
The office asked my father to step out of the car so my father wound up the window. The police officer then smashed the window on my fathers side and as you all know he is aggressive so he jumped out of the car and started beating this poor guy really badly. The other office came to help and he coped it too. In the end they arrested him. He spent 12 months in Boggo Road Gaol for all his outstanding warrants plus what he had done that night.
I only heard one side of the call from my father but my Aunty got on the phone to my mum. I heard my Aunty Gail say you have to sell all your stuff to get him out or you will never see your kids again. I started to get scared as I wanted to see my mummy. These calls continued for about 6 weeks back and forward. Mum had called the police but she didn't know where we were. We got to speak to her sometimes and she would say
"where did you go today? What does it look like there etc?" She didn't want to show us she was scared or make Gail suspicious so they were pretty simply questions that would sound like a normal conversation between children and their mother.
I told mum we went to a dam where there was a tunnel and the water went over us and that I got a leech on my leg there. We also went to magic mountain and Aunty Gail brought me a toy horse (I loved horses).
After about 3 of these calls I think the police had an idea of where we were and they contact queensland police who found the semi trailer we had gone to Queensland in and the address we were staying at. This was the end of our kidnap situation (we didn't feel kidnapped though which I guess is a good thing). We got to go for a ride in a police car and they even let us put the sirens on wow we loved this ride.
The police took us to the airport and we flew to a town close to home and mum was there to meet us. I couldn't understand why she was crying so much but now that I know what happened I can totally understand.
My father was released from prison and we were never to go away with him again. Not on our own. If my Aunty brought him to visit it was ok. Mum explained at the time that the court man said he can come but he has to bring our Aunty (we will call her Tessa).
Each holiday after that my Aunty Tessa would bring him up to visit us. We would be allowed to go fishing, to the beach or park but not much further than that. I remember one time dad saying let's go away together again. I said
"no daddy's the court man said no and mummy will cry" he took us home, I was really upset as I truly missed my daddy and knew that I would not see him again for ages and I was a daddy's girl. Before I went inside Aunty Tessa said
"Emily! This is my diary you can have it. That way you always have us with you and if you ever miss us write down what you feel and when we come back you can read it to us" I still have that little yellow diary with gold on the edge of the pages and a padlock to this day.
I remember I always cried when they went away. My brother always played up for mum but it was because he didn't want to go with our father ever.
My mother Married her boyfriend (we will call him Arthur) and I was the flower girl and my brother was the page boy. It was a beautiful ceremony. I remember my Pa giving my mother away and he looked awesome as usual. We were having so much fun I had gained a step brother and a step sister both of whom I loved. They didn't live with us they lived with their mum but we saw them everyday.
That night my new step father got so drunk and I saw something in his eyes I didn't like......
⚡️⚡️Author Notes ⚡️⚡️
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