After seven months of living in a bed and breakfast, I decided to take the very next property that the Council offered me. I couldn't wait to have my own bedroom again and not have to sleep the boys in the cupboard with the food. ( There was a single bed shoved in there, around the corner from the larder )
Not hear the Landlord and Landlady arguing all the time, with glass breaking in the hallway, when they had been drinking . This was supposed to be a safe house for abused Mothers.
I was given a two bedroomed semi in Edlington, with a garden to the front and back.
I had been in the house ten minutes, when there was a knock on the front door. " Have you got any fags I can have?" This was a complete stranger to me . I explained that I didn't smoke and apologised .
My oldest Son came running in one day screaming that a pack of dogs had chased him from the Ice cream van, up to the house.
My Son's bike was stolen from out of my back garden. A few days later, I went to pick Adam up from school, when to my surprise, I saw a youth on my Son's stolen bike.
I strode straight up to him and dragged him off from it, explaining that there was an identity number on the bike and that the Police were looking for it. I told him I knew who he was and that the Police would be round to his house later ..
After I put the saddle back to the right size and made it look presentable again, I gave it back to my Son, who was very happy to be reunited with his bike .
I lived in this awful place for a year before I started to lose it. I found myself walking the streets at night, leaving my boys asleep in bed, just to find a telephone to talk to my Mother because I was so lonely .
I couldn't stay there any longer . I went to school to get my eldest out of class, packed a bag or two, caught the train to Sheffield and threw myself at my Parent's mercy .
I couldn't go back there . not ever ..
My Dad owned three houses in Sheffield , all in a row and the end one had become vacant. I squatted in one of them. The Council refused to let me live there because there had been a grant allowed on the houses and no immediate family could live there . That didn't stop me from making it our home .
There was a hole in the roof and we could see the stars at night. I loved it .. My big Brother came round and fixed it for us, so we wouldn't be cold and wet. It was almost Christmas by then.
I had nothing . No furniture, nothing. Except a tiny Christmas tree that I had made myself, for the boys.
The next few weeks were mainly waiting for the courts to decide whether or not I should be allowed to stay in my Dad's house . My family rallied round and helped me to get very basic furniture.
I had put my eldest Son in school, so that I could say I was planning to make it our home ..
Waiting ...... waiting ..... waiting ..... more waiting ..... weeks passed .... then ...
The phone rang and Dad answered.. He thanked the person on the other end of the phone, cried and told them he could kiss them and they had made him a very happy man . He put the phone down, we were all waiting with bated breath .....Dad turned to me and said " you can stay "..
Everyone was crying with happiness and relief ..
I went round home and told the boys and they both shouted and started jumping for joy .. We would enjoy Christmas with the peace of mind that we had so needed ..
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