Secrets of a Dysfunctional Family: The Struggle of Three Sisters’ Determination to Overcome the Odds Of, Drama, Abuse, and Betrayal

By Keisha Covington

My book, Secrets of a Dysfunctional Family, is inspired on a true story about the struggle of three sisters’ determination to overcome the odds of drama as children who also were physically, mentally, and emotionally abused and were betrayed by their family. Trying to understand and cope with the hurt, the sisters couldn’t understand why someone who was supposed to care, love, and protect you would do the unthinkable. What the sisters went through as children and the lifestyle they had to grow up in because of what others decided to do to them took a drastic impact on their lives and also the reasons why one sister as a senior in high school, at seventeen years of age, left home as a loner to seek refuge after being abused, disowned, and abandoned by her parents.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781546277620

Book preview

CHAPTER

ONE

T he summer of 1998, just like all summers before and since, had finally come— something that all the average, normal kids looked forward to; Mia, who had the outward appearance of a normal child, didn’t look forward to the summer at all. Her freedom, strange as it seemed, was when she was in school.

School was everything to her. School was her oasis, her sanctuary—a community to which she felt connected, and, in an odd way, in control. Being at home, conversely, was like a nightmare, with all the pejoratives that a young woman could conjure up to describe the continual dysfunction: fussing’, arguing’ cussing’ and fighting’ all the time. Her internal dialogue rarely deviated: "Here goes another day of living hell at home. Omar, my so-called father, is always upset because Erica, my momma, didn’t have the house clean and the food cooked.

Omar don’t work at all, but like always, momma does. Omar, claiming’ to be the ‘man of the house’ while refusing to even attempt to provide for his family. How can you call yourself a man, when your wife is out there playing the man’s role while you sit here waiting on her to bring her check home to you?

Why can’t you grow up and be a man, a husband, and a father instead of a little bitch, who does nothing’? Listen to them: they don’t care about who hears them fussing, cussing’ or even fighting’ at all. We all live in this small-assed apartment, so we all know how thin these walls really are. Damn neighbors can hear everything that is being said. Why can’t they just get along at least once?"

And then the adults chimed in:

"Erica, why you can’t ever get anything right? Why do I have to do it all?" Omar said.

Honey, I am sorry, but as soon as I came home I started cleaning up, Erica offered meekly. Erica, seeing that the softness of her tone had no effect upon the hardness of his heart, immediately started cooking as an attempt to prevent Omar from arguing.

Honey don’t be mad; I will be done cooking in a few.

Erica, Omar countered, "I don’t want to hear any of that—it’s supposed to be done now."

Well look, Honey, I can’t make the food cook any faster than what it’s cooking now. I’m tired, I worked all day. I am going to check on the food, said Erica, as she went to the kitchen.

Mia was in her room tossing and turning, trying to go to sleep. With all the incessant fussing that went on between them, Mia felt that she was going crazy. Suddenly, Mia’s room door opened and in came her sister’s Latosha and Nicole.

What are you two doing in my room? Mia asked.

Mia, we can’t sleep neither— can we sleep in here with you? the girls asked in unison.

No, ’cause all you’re gonna do is keep me up with your talking, Mia said. On top of that, I am tired of having to wash my sheets and pillow cases and flipping my mattress every time you sleep in my bed, in my room.

Mia, come on, please! screamed Nicole.

Nicole, every time you pee in my bed I am the one always getting in trouble over something I didn’t do.

Please, Mia, I promise I won’t mess up your bed, I promise!

Ok, Nicole ok! You and Latosha can sleep in my room, but it’s only for tonight, ok? I mean it—just tonight.

Alright, Mia, we get it; just tonight.

Latosha, overjoyed with her sister’s magnanimity, cheerfully said Thanks! Hey, Mia, what are you doing?

Nothing, Latosha, a now agitated Mia said, why are you being so nosey?

Well, I want some too, Mia! a now curious Nicole chimed in.

You two don’t even know what I have, said Mia, who was quickly regretting being so nice to her inquisitive sisters. If you tell me, I will know what you have, and I don’t have to guess at what you’re doing, offered Nicole.

Mia was regretting letting her sisters sleep with her now. Alright, look! Since you two must know what I am doing. See? It’s just cotton balls, so I can go to sleep. I can’t go to sleep with all the fussing and listening to you two talking. You two act like you forgot we have school in the morning. Nicole, take those clothes by my door and put them under the door, so it can block out some of the noise. Even after Nicole dutifully did what her sister asked her to do, Mia still had to ask herself, "When is this gonna end?" Even with the noise between Omar and her mother somewhat stifled, Mia found it difficult to relax.

Even after Thing One (Nicole) and Thing Two (Latosha) had finally gone to sleep, Mia found herself twisting and turning in her bed; she then decided to see what was going on between Omar and Erica. When Mia opened the door, she heard Omar again fussing about the house not being properly cleaned and the food not being properly cooked.

Omar, the house was clean, said Erica, and I fixed a good meal—I’m too tired to argue, Honey. As she was trying to leave the kitchen, Omar kept pushing her back into the kitchen.

"You are not gonna ignore me, Erica, he said enraged. You leave when I tell you to leave." He then sought to accentuate his words with another push, but instead of his wife cowering in fear as he expected, her resolve was strengthened.

Omar, stop pushing me now! I am tired of arguing about this!

Even with Erica deciding to assert herself, Omar still took time to notice Mia standing in the door way of the kitchen. To reassert his authority, he yelled at Mia to go back to her room. While Omar was telling Mia to go back to her room, Erica, disgusted and tired, walked away from him, out the kitchen.

Where do you think you are going? Get back here, Erica, now! Right now!!

Erica then turned to her daughter to provide as clear and distinctive a difference between herself and Omar as possible.

Mia, go back up to your room, I’m ok, she said even as she heard Omar’s clumsy, tantrum-filled steps behind her.

No, you are not mom; I seen what he was doing to you in there. We can’t even sleep because he is fussing so loud…

Mia please be quiet and go back in your room and don’t come out. She heard Omar’s steps getting closer to the top of the stairs.

Why mom?

Let’s go, Mia, now!

Erica then closed Mia’s bedroom door. By the time she did this, Omar made it to the top of the stairs upset because Erica committed the sin of walking away from him.

Omar walked slowly, menacingly down the hallway to Mia’s room. Omar looked at Erica breathing uneasily, as if he had scaled the Grand Canyon. He then fixed his cold gaze upon Erica.

Why did you walk away from me, Erica, when I was talking to you? I know you heard me calling your name—

Omar, please, I am tired of hearing your mess; all you’re doing is fussing for the sake of fussing. I told you I don’t want to hear that tonight, I’m tired and I have to get up early in the morning to make sure these girls are ready for school and that I am ready for work.

What the hell you say to me, Erica?

You heard me, Omar! Now I got to get myself ready for tomorrow—we can talk about this later. Erica began to walk toward the stairs, past a flabbergasted, frustrated husband.

Where do you think you are going? demanded Omar.

"I am going down stairs away from you, Omar. I’m gonna get something from the kitchen and then I’m