johnivey STORY (PART ONE)
I really had a ‘Leave It To Beaver’ type of life, until the third grade that is. I went to a Private Christian school and had an older brother, a stay-at-home mom and a dad that worked very hard. Life was really good at the Ivey’s. We attended church 3 times a week and I even played on the church baseball team. I was baptized when I was 8 years old by one of the Elders at church. When I expressed my desire to become a Christian this Elder volunteered to come over to our home to talk with me about my decision. After an hour of discussion he decided I was ready. We went to the church right then and I was baptized. Yes, life was great up to and most of that 3rd grade year.
Then in one night everything would change forever!
I was asleep in the bedroom that I shared with my brother. Suddenly, I was awakened by this terrible noise. It was the sound of voices coming from my parent’s room. I looked over at my brother’s bed. It was empty! As I looked toward the door, I caught a glimpse of him disappearing as he rounded the corner and into the hall. I jumped up wanting two things. I kind of wanted to know what all the noise was, but mainly I did not want to be left alone in the dark.
I entered my parent’s room just a couple of steps behind my brother. My dad was swinging his fist wildly in the air and yelling at my mom. As I looked on in horror I could see he was actually raising his fists high in the air and then bringing them down and hitting my mom in the head.
My mom was screaming his name and begging him to stop. I heard her say, "STOP, the boys are watching stop! Stop! STOP!"
My mom was in a fetal position with covers pulled up to her chin. The only things visible were her hands and her head. My dad then began pulling the covers away from my mom. She tried desperately to hold on to them and to keep herself covered. Then with one quick motion he succeeded in pulling them off her, Her body was in full view. She continued to beg him to stop. She only had on a pair of panties. With another quick motion he tore them off. My mom was completely naked!
He shouted, "Let them see you for the WHORE that you are! Let them see you the way Thomas has seen you!"
Now I didn't know what a WHORE was, but by the way my dad was screaming I knew it wasn't a good thing.
My dad then started choking my mom until she passed out. Actually, I thought he had killed her.
I never moved during this whole time. I remember wondering if I would be next. I did not know what to do. My brother had gone back in our bedroom. When he returned he had his 22-caliber rifle.
My brother shouted, "Leave my mother alone!"
My dad looked at him and then looked at me. He never said a word. He just stopped and walked out of the room. I knew he was gone when I heard the front door shut behind him.
My mother regained consciousness. She was crying as she covered herself with the blanket my dad had jerked away from her moments before..
As she was sobbing she told us to go back to bed and never tell anyone what we had witnessed.
The next day it was if nothing happened. Neither my brother, mother or myself mentioned what had taken place just a few hours before. No one mentioned anything about my dad or where he was. My brother and I got up and dressed. My mom drove us to school just as if nothing was wrong. When I got to school, I went about my normal routine, laughing and playing with my friends. School was always a social event for me. The education was just the price I had to pay to have access to my friends. I was always telling jokes and having a great time while I was at school.
We never talked about that night. It was as though it never happened. Years later when I begin writing stories about my life would be the first time I ever mentioned it to anyone. But that morning, I went to school as though nothing had happened. I wanted to talk to someone, but I did not know who I could talk to or even how to begin to tell what I had witnessed. I thought if I did tell I would be in trouble.
I found out later that the "Thomas" (my dad referred to) was Thomas the Elder at our church that baptized me. I then begin to wonder why he felt it was necessary to come to my house and asked me questions about my desire to be baptized. Was he sincere in doing so or had that been just an excuse to come over and spend time with my mom.
In that one night all the things I had been taught had been betrayed. I felt as if my whole world was a lie. I wondered .... if you could not trust your mom, or the Elder in your church that baptized you and you could not trust your dad..... Well, who could you trust?
That’s been nearly 50 years ago. Why am I telling you this? I guess I just want to say that the next time you are talking to someone be aware that they might have a secret and no one to talk to. Don’t be so quick to judge. All my life people have told me that I was a little paranoid. A therapist once told me I was hypervigilant. I have also been told I should learn to trust people.
All of that is true, but sometimes one’s experiences in life say something different.