First person ----------------------------------------------------
I thought he wasn't interested in sex ...
After a disastrous marriage, Sally Smith was delighted to meet a man who wanted only to be her friend. But why was Frank so affectionate towards her children - and why did they eventually turn against him?
Editor's Comment:
This is not a Seniors story, but a 'must read' for all parents with young children.
LONDON (The Guardian), February 18, 2008:
I was glad to get out of my marriage, as were my children. Their father hadn't been much of a dad to them. He terrified them with his foul temper and his ugly moods, and the whole of their lives had been spent walking on eggshells. He hadn't been violent to them - as he had to me - but my two little girls were timid and scaredy-cat and trusted no man. Even my friends' husbands had difficulty getting through to them. They just curled up into little balls of fear whenever a man tried to talk to them.
After the divorce, we moved to another town, to really get away and start a new life. New house, new school, new job: it was like a breath of fresh air. I remember driving down a road on the first weekend in our new home and feeling so free that I burst into tears.
For the first few months, we were happy just living without the constant threat of danger. There wasn't much money but we weren't bothered by that. The three of us worked as a team and loved each other, and we made a pact that there would never be any shouting and hurting in our house, that there would never be any secrets between us. Trust would be our greatest strength.
One day, through work, I met Frank.........
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© Guardian News and Media Limited 2008
