As a child, I always knew when my dad was coming over. Mum rushed around making sure the flat was tidy, the sink was clear of its usual clutter and there was a delicious smell of toad-in-the-hole with creamy mash wafting from the kitchen. Dad was married to another woman on our sprawling council estate and had a son with her. But he'd had an affair with my mother, and she was 21 when I was born. Mum got so little from my father, yet she still adored him and seemed to live for his occasional visits. He was the love of her life, and a few hours with him here and there was better than no time at all.
Even the frightening occasions when he came round drunk and violent, or the time he was arrested at our front door, couldn't dent her feelings for him. As far as I could gather, he was the perfect father to his son Graham* - taking him to football matches and organising days out - but I barely saw Dad except for those brief visits. Even then, he simply ignored me. We scarcely exchanged a word from the time I was eight.
Our estate was a tough place to grow up and the majority of tenants lived hand to mouth. As a result, many people, including my dad, were involved in crime - everything from handling stolen goods to drugs or counterfeiting. Children went to school just enough to keep the authorities at bay. Yet there was a strong sense of community as long as you were part of the inner circle' and stayed loyal.
この記事は WOMAN'S OWN の August 21, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は WOMAN'S OWN の August 21, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on the gender gap, cats and timed hugs
Check out CHICAGO
With a spectacular skyline, sandy beaches and great food, the Windy City is calling, says Zoe West
LET'S EMBRACE OUR CHRISTMAS TAT!
Becky Dickinson explains why she'll still be rocking around her tinsel-strewn tree this year
BURIED SECRETS
We look at the shocking cases of celebrities posthumously accused of being sexual predators-and how they got away with it
FESTIVE NO-BAKES
Pop on the Christmas tunes and whip up a batch of these easy sweet treats
PROTECT YOUR SMILE
Are you doing enough to look after your teeth and gums?
'TIS THE SEASON TO SHINE!
At last, Hayley McCrossan, 39, feels fit and healthy
FOR THE LOVE OF TOM
When Deborah Mitchell, 57, lost her son, she vowed to help other families facing the same heartbreak
THE NURSE WHO LEFT MY GRANDAD FOR DEAD belict
Rachael Fealey, 31, had one question for the woman who killed her beloved Grampa - how could you?
Coleen's MONEY WORRIES
What are the reasons behind her financial and marriage fears?