What followed next is history, or is it? I wonder if the eight, nine or 11 young men who decided to gang up against an older man, knew the events that would unfold.
Surely they knew there would be repercussions to their actions. After all – for every action there is a reaction, or do they have no guilt whatsoever? Maybe they just do this every Friday night – go about beating up people that look for trouble with one of them.
I have no doubt that my ex-husband looked for trouble.
My daughters, who both witnessed the severe beating up of their dad in that car park, have had severe trauma and both suffered from PTS. Both had to be hospitalised in Denmar Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria. The younger one of the two has always wanted to become a trauma doctor; she is currently doing her matric year and is a patient of Weskoppies outpatient unit. She takes hectic meds everyday – stuff that I wouldn’t be able to take as the strengths of the meds is way too strong for me. She is struggling to balance her meds, her matric year and her emotions. More than a typical teenager would need to be saddled with.
I would like to say to those young men that, that night they beat the living daylights out of an older man, my ex and my daughters’ father. (Who maybe deserved the beating, but my daughters did not deserve to get to watch.) I am sure that none of you stopped to think of the long term effects you would have on these two young girls’ lives, but I want you to know that there are affects that are left behind.
The one good thing that came from that night is that their Dad has never drauk again. (Not that he was drunk when the attack took place). He hasn’t worked, he has had numerous operations on his leg to fix the irreparable damage that your insistent kicking did.
But you have damaged my daughters. My youngest beautiful daughter who so wanted to become a trauma doctor. I hope that one of you have a little bit of regret, and that maybe one of you think about the lives you changed that night. Because if you haven’t then all it was, was a senseless beating by a bunch of bullies. I hope lessons were learnt all around that night.
Every day, I see my daughter struggling through things which maybe would have been hard for her, I see her resilience and how she struggles to rise above everything. I see how much she has accomplished. I also know that being a single working mom, as her Dad doesn’t work, might make it difficult for her to go to university, and I know in my heart of hearts that she will get to where she is going – but you have not made it easier for her, have you?
I almost hate you for it. Except I don’t know who you are, because not only are you a bully, an anonymous, scared bully. You have disappeared into the cracks of life like a cockroach. I almost feel sorry for you.
Then I remember who I am and how you almost destroyed my daughters’ lives. Almost, but not quite, as you see you don’t have that power! After all you are a cockroach!
Kind Regards
Niki
