Maui and My Reconnection

If you read my book you know that my step-sister, I hate that phrase by the way, had a very rough life in our household. She was a toddler when she came to us and left as a teenager. In those years in my father's house she was verbally and physically abused. What was worse was she watched her mother suffer the same fate at my father's hands.In my book I talk about trying to help my newly acquired sister. I loved her and felt very bad for her. The first time I remember her in our home was when she was a toddler. We were eating dinner and she was in a high chair. My father decided he didn't like the way she was eating and stuck her in the basement surrounded by saw chips, (we were remodeling our basement) in a room with the door closed.I remember looking at my siblings, father and her mother and thinking they are looney. I went down and stood next to her highchair until she was done eating. She didn't go on family vacations with us. She wasn't allowed. Her grandparents came and picked her up while we drove off to Disney World. Sick, I know. Yes, her mother came with us, and left my new sister with her parents.There are lots of stories, but I think you get the jist of what her life was like. The verbal abuse I think is worse than the physical, for I suffered both also. Her and her mother finally moved out of my father's jail when my new sister was a freshman in High School, I was a Senior. I was so happy to see that my sister could get away from the jail keeper, and happy that her mother finally did the right thing. I lost touch with her for a few years. It was too painful to stay in contact. The last time I spoke with her I was twenty three. I was in her wedding. We parted ways simply because I couldn't forgive her mother and it wasn't fair to her to have to defend her mother to me. I was still too immature at the time to just have a relationship with her and I. I was too mad and couldn't keep my mouth shut.She found me on facebook. She lives in the Hawaiin Islands. I met her for coffee when I was in Maui. We sat and talked and looked at each other. It was so good to see her.She is a super strong and smart woman. She is an amazing mother, a forgiver, a dignified and moral human, and has compassion and love flowing out of her pores. We talked about kids and life. Then told me she read my book. She liked it, and I was so happy to hear that! Then she said something that has brought tears to my eyes ever since our meeting. She said, "At least you and your siblings had each other, I had no one." She didn't have anyone. She cried. I looked at her and wanted to dry her tears and give her a hug, but knew she didn't that at that moment, she needed that hug twenty five years ago. I love her and I miss her. We will stay in touch, but we can never go back in time. She asked me if I knew why they finally left the dungeon. I really had no idea. She told me she had been mowing our lawn and a blade on the lawn mower broke. The tyrrant was in our living room drunk while she was mowing the lawn. She couldn't fix the blade so she went inside and said, screw it. Her mother came upstairs and told her to get back down there and mow the lawn. She stood up for herself and said, "I will never mow another blade on that man's grass." Her mother slapped her face and she slapped her mother back. She called her extended family and got the hell out of dodge that night!The good news is ladies and gentlemen her mother finally chose her! She left my father and chose her daughter! They moved on TOGETHER! I am so happy for her. I am happy her mother finally realized the amazing daughter she has.I love you sister, I pray for you, and we will stick together!