So it all started when I was thirteen years old and my parents had their usual fight, with my dad pummeling away as usual. The beating had obviously been going on since I was born but I only became aware of it when I was seven. We had just returned from London where we lived for about four years as my dad went for his PhD.
The first time I witnessed my dad beating my mum, it
took me by surprise. As a child, I was feisty and bold. I hated that he was
beating her and I made the ‘mistake’ of jumping in between them to try and
stop him...I took a good beating! That's probably where all my problems
with my father started. Every time they had a fight, as long as I was around I
would jump in, yelling for him to stop and tell him that he was doing the wrong
thing. I grew up telling my dad he was wrong most of the time and I got beaten
for it, a lot.
