All My Children Ep. 2

When D-Max and I moved into our complex eight years ago, he befriended a lovely young girl MJ who fast became a fixture in our household. We also got to know her family and they were only too happy to have her spend a great deal of time in our home, so much so that one day I was summonsed to a family pow-pow to discuss the future of MJ.

Present were MJ's mother, father, maternal aunt and myself. On the agenda; the possibility of me adopting MJ as they felt they could no longer look after her and she didn't give me the problems that she gave them. Picking myself up from the floor I enquired whether perhaps she could just stay with me on a temporary basis because adoption is, well permanent and if I go through with it I'm not about to hand the child back over should they have a change of heart. Provisional custody was not an option as far as they were concerned and I left with the promise of giving it much thought. As much as I wanted to adopt MJ and be a mother to such a big hearted child; I felt her parents were being extremely irrational and in the absence of abuse, could find no legitimate reason to take on MJ and so declined their request.

I continued offering MJ my guidance and an open door to my home and heart. She grew up, became a very beautiful intelligent young woman, and suffered no ill effects from her family. And then the wheels fell off.

Without exposing all of MJ's personal tragedies in detail, two years ago her mother felt that I was no longer a positive influence in her daughter's life and requested rather firmly that I break off all contact. With MJ still being a minor I had no say in the matter andrespected the wishes of the family.

A few weeks ago MJ tracked me down and disclosed all the tragedy that ensued after my disappearance. It included two run aways; severe physical, emotional and verbal abuse; and a horrific attempted suicide which led to a brief stay in a psychiatric hospital. When I took her hand and saw her mutilated wrist my heart broke and I was almost physically ill. My eyes welled up with tears I was flooded by the guilt of not adopting her when I had the opportunity; deserting her at the wishes of her mother and not being there for her when she needed me the most.

Her family has moved to Cape Town and she is currently living with her boyfriend at his mother's house. This afternoon she phoned me asked if she could come live with me because there is trouble in paradise and her only other option is returning to her family. She offered to do the cooking (she knows my culinary skills are in short supply); baby-sit the kids so that I can get a break and help financially with groceries and household supplies. I accepted her offer of cooking and kidding and rejected any monetary assistance.

So tomorrow my 'daughter' comes home.