Runaway Daughter in God's Hand: A True Story Based on the Life of Milagros Duran Davis

By Milagros Duran Davis

Millie, the oldest of twelve children, grew up in the only house on a small island in the Philippines. Her days were spent doing chores and helping with the children. It was a hard life, and food was often scarce. They did what had to be done in order to survive day by day. This was how Millie felt life was for everyone, because that was all she knew.

Millie's life changed as she got older, and her father noticed her growing into a beautiful young woman. At night, she would roll herself inside her floor mat to protect herself from her father's attempts to have his way with her. She felt the only way she could survive was to run away from home. It was difficult for her to leave her mother and siblings, because she loved them and knew she was the one who did most of the hard work for the family. Several times her attempts to escape ended with her father and mother finding her and bringing her back. It was by the hand of God that she was finally able to escape for good. God guided Millie through good times and bad times. The Lord always provided what and whom she needed as Millie found her way on her own. This was when Millie truly realized it was God who was taking care of her, because God was always a step ahead of her. Millie went through difficult times, but God always created something good from a bad situation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886851649

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Runaway Daughter in God's Hand

A True Story Based on the Life of Milagros Duran Davis

Milagros Duran Davis

ISBN 979-8-88685-163-2 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88685-164-9 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Milagros Duran Davis

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Epilogue

About the Author

Prologue

The sun was setting over the ocean. Millie was sitting in the coconut tree positioned near what was considered home for her for the last fourteen years. Her siblings were playing games after completing the day's chores, but she had chosen go sit in her favorite coconut palm tree to pray. Hearing her siblings laughing and playing brought joy to her heart. Her father and mother were napping before Mother would have to begin making dinner. The boys would help Mother build the fire for cooking the meal. This brought a smile to Millie's face. She loved Mother so much. Today was a good day.

The salty wind was blowing her beautiful long black hair to and fro. Her hair was jet-black with what appeared to be a highlight of blue when the sun hit it. It whipped in her face as she moved higher in the palm tree to her favorite sitting spot. Once she got to the spot, she looked out to be sure it was safe to pluck a young coconut from its stem and skillfully cracked it open. The sweet coconut milk was a delicious treat to end her day of laborious work to ensure that the family had what it needed for the week. After indulging in the sweet nectar of the coconut milk, she strategically threw the shell into the foliage so that Father wouldn't see that she had plucked yet another young nut. He made coconut wine from the coconuts from the island but had designated three trees for the family's use. He would count each nut to know how many the family would have in order to feed them. She knew he would know she took one, but today she didn't care.

Her thirst for something sweet was quenched, and she leaned back onto the branch and allowed the setting sun to warm her face. The sky today had a cotton candy appearance, beautiful colors of pinks and purples, with rays of orange and yellow flowing through the sky. These were the best sunsets to watch. The sun was halfway below the level of the water on the horizon. It was so big and orange with flecks of yellow radiating from it, lighting up the ocean water. From where she was sitting, the little inlet was breathtaking. Shadows of the other coconut trees and their palm leaves painted a picturesque scene of tranquility. Millie closed her eyes and took in the vision that her grandpa, Lolo Francisco, had spoken to her about when she was a little girl regarding sunsets. She was sad that the sun appeared to be falling into the water, but Lolo explained that it was actually moving toward America, getting ready to say good morning to them and good night to us. Oh, how she longed for America, a new beginning to end the nightmare that she had been enduring. She envisioned a completely different life than the one that she had been given, a life of an unconditional love of a father, one that she once had but had been long gone since she had come of age. Millie sat in the tree, just high enough to see the sunset but hidden from the view of her father. She watched her little sisters playing nearby. How innocent, how young, how safe…for now.

Ramone was not a good man. Mother was tired; she was weak. She was pregnant yet again. He was wearing her down. She couldn't keep up with all her chores and keep Millie safe from his evil intent. He was relentless in his pursuit. She could not keep her safe forever. Millie knew this. Menia would be coming of age within a matter of a few years, and Millie knew that she would have to do whatever she needed to do to save her too.

As Millie looked out to the sunset, she began to pray, Father God, I need You! I need Your help. Lord, I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this. I am tired. I am scared. I am scared for myself, for Mother, and my sisters. I don't know this person You have chosen to be my father. I don't know what You want of me. What do You want me to do? He is so strong and getting angrier and angrier. Mother can't keep him at bay much longer. He intends to have his way one day. Father, I give this all to You. I trust You. I know You have a plan for me. Please, reveal it to me. Show me what it is that You want me to do and to be. I need You, Father! Help me, Lord, so that I can help Mother and my sisters. Show me the way. I know You have been with me, and I trust You will be with me until the end, whenever that may be. I love You, Father. Amen.

Chapter 1

Francisco was a farmer with enough property to grow corn, rice, sugarcane, potatoes, peanuts, and tobacco. He did so by rotating the crops from year to year. He also had caribou on the property that his twenty-year-old daughter, Maria, would help tend to. She would move the caribou from one grazing area to another and to the watering holes to cool them off when needed.

Maria was small in stature with lovely long black hair. She had the typical pure-blooded Filipino features, which included a button nose. She had two children, Estalita and Rosita, by her first love. She had Estalita at age sixteen and Rosita a couple years later. Francisco was not a fan of this man and rightfully so because he ran off, leaving Maria and the children to fend for themselves. Maria's mother died in childbirth, but her stepmother had been in her life since she could remember. She loved Maria like her own, so it was only natural that they took Maria and her daughters in when they needed help. It was Maria's job to tend to the caribou daily.

Ramone was a local who was married with two children, Alturo and Lena. He had a pointed nose, indicating that he was not of pure Filipino descent. He was tall and lanky in stature. He was also a charmer. He wanted to be with Maria since the day he first set eyes on her. He did everything he could to catch her eye and find ways to speak to her. Francisco tried to warn Maria about Ramone. He was married and should not be trusted, but against his advice, Maria started a relationship with him. Ramone was able to maintain a relationship with both Maria and his wife and got both women pregnant at the same time. Francisco sent Maria to the city to hide her from Ramone. While in the city, she gave birth to a girl, Milagrosa, who was nicknamed Millie. Ramone's wife had a daughter, too, and named her Josefa. Ramone continued to search for Maria while making his wife believe he was being faithful. He located Maria and once again was able to charm his way back into her life by promising to leave his wife. Maria believed him and found herself pregnant again. She soon found out that Ramone's wife was pregnant too. He had lied to her. It was by the grace of God that Ramone was removed from her life so she could focus on her children, Estalita, Rosita, Millie, and Rudolpho, but only for a short time to Francisco's dismay.

Ramone was a fisherman, but his way of fishing was unconventional and against the law. He would make homemade dynamite, locate a school of fish, and then throw it in the middle of the school to explode. He then would collect all the fish that floated to the top. He did this many times, but one day the dynamite exploded before he could release it, causing him to lose his forearm and hand. He was imprisoned for this for a couple of years. During this time, Ramone's wife left him. Once he was out of prison, he was able to locate Maria again and charm his way back into her life. Ramone wanted Maria to move away with him, away from her father, because he knew how Francisco felt about him. Francisco did his best to talk sense into Maria, but she was in love and believed the lies Ramone spewed to her. Maria intended to leave with Ramone, but Francisco and her stepmother insisted that they leave Estalita and Rosita with them. Francisco did not trust Ramone and wanted to protect all the children from him, but he could not stop Maria from taking Millie and Rudolpho.

Ramone moved the family to a small island that was home to approximately one hundred people. Ramone and the family lived more inland and at the top of the hill. Rudolpho passed away at three years old from an illness. Maria got pregnant again and had another girl named Armenia. Ramone started to grow restless with the family. His temper was always bad, but it was getting worse. His sexual prowess seemed to be insatiable. It seemed Maria was unable to keep him satisfied.

There was a blind single woman in town who had a daughter with whom Ramone and Maria became friends. It was just a matter of time before Ramone started sneaking to see this woman. Maria started to notice that Ramone was frequently getting up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom and not coming back for long periods of time. One night Maria followed him in the dark. She followed him to this woman's home. Because she lived closer to the waterway, her hut was built on stilts for flood prevention. Maria stood underneath the hut and could hear her husband having sex with this woman. Maria was heartbroken. She now knew her father was right, but what was she to do? She ran away from Ramone twice with her children, but each time, Ramone found her and was able to sweet-talk her back home.

Ramone promised it was over and that he was committed to Maria. Unfortunately, it was not true. The woman's daughter let Maria know that he had continued to see her mother and now she was pregnant. She remembered how her relationship started with Ramone and how his first wife must have felt. Maria confronted Ramone and demanded that they move immediately. Ramone delayed the move until the child was born. This child had congenital defects and died shortly afterward.

Once they moved, Maria thought her life would be normal. Ramone would be content with her and their children. He would be the man she believed him to be. Maria got pregnant every year after that. Her fourth and fifth children were girls but passed away of natural causes as infants. Her sixth child was a boy she named Salvador. Her seventh and eighth children were girls, and she named them Salvasion and Clarita. The ninth child was a boy, named Romolo. The tenth child was a girl, named Juanita. By this time, Millie was assisting in the births of her siblings. She begged her mother to stop having children, because it was taking a toll on her mother's body. She begged her father to find ways to prevent her mother from getting pregnant for fear of losing her, but he dismissed her concerns. Maria went on to have two