Rosa’s Story of Domestic Violence
Thank you for this opportunity, to share my story of survival with you. My history goes as far back as a child of fifteen. I had great parents my mother was the disciplinary in our home. Mami would make sure that all of us would attend school. I come from a modest and poor background, growing up back in the sixties was normal to me to sleep on the floors. As a child I would remember my mother preparing pigeon soup for a neighbor because this is all we had, I always thought as a child all people were like us (Poor).
Growing up through the gang war times of Philadelphia, from the riot of 1972 in Camden, New Jersey and then my brother Albert John Torres was murdered in 1980. I remember so much sadness in pain with all my family during that time.
I met my ex-husband in 1983 always saying that he was my knight in shining armor. Never knowing that his family had a history of Abuse/Domestic Violence, Keith father left when he was only five years old, his mother shared with me that his father was also abusive. I guess to her it was normal when she shared her story of him breaking her arm. I was not accustomed to men hurting me; my father who raised 7 children never raised a hand to any of us.
Throughout the years of my marriage to a Philadelphia Police Officer was not my dream come to or as I would say my Cinderella story. The emotional abuse began by his Mother, Grandmother and Sister. I was told by his grandmother that, Puerto Ricans were the low lives of all low lives. Then Terri his sister moved in. I always thought as his wife I would have some say so when it involved our home but I was wrong, after an argument with Terri which led to a physical altercation, the man of my dreams felt that the ghetto in me was coming out and this is when the physical abuse started.
Sadly through the years the abuse continued and I went further into that deep horrible black hole. Many knew of the abuse, many protected him because he was the Police and I felt lost. I became suicidal; feeling my life of abuse will never stop. In March of 1999, Keith caused me to have my first Retinal Detachment Surgery a month later he was gone. Was I grateful, yes? All I wanted was to heal my children who witness the abuse. Each time I tried to advance in my education I had to drop out or if I was advancing in my career, I had to quit because Keith needed me to be home. His moving up in rank was important and I as his wife had to support him. Keith felt it would benefit us. No, it did not benefit us.
One thing I can share with you and your readers is that I survived; I decided to write my story, just in case, for some horrible reason, I did not survive.
I am honored and humble to say that my raw and real story is an award winning book. As an Activist, I now speak to all women and men of all races, religion, poor, rich, middle class, Democrat, Republican. Domestic Violence affects all people.
Thank you,
Author Rosaura Torres
http://www.torrespublishing.com