Personal Narrative: My Father's Addiction

Quickly, my siblings and I woke up. We heard loud arguing and ruckus from my parent’s room. Another sleepless night because my dad had come home sozzled and heated. This had become the norm in my home. My dad’s addiction was not only affecting him, but affecting his family as well.

His alcohol addiction was getting worse throughout the years. It caused him to lose his job, his wife, and even his kids. He would physically abused my mother and eventually turned on his own kids. Every night I would pray. Pray he wouldn’t come home intoxicated and livid. “Vero wake up, please wake up!” said my mother while crying. “What’s going on?” I asked frantically. “Get the kids, go to the neighbor’s and call the police!”

At a glance, I saw blood on my mother’s blue nightgown and hands. I was perplexed about the whole situation. Nonetheless, I quickly woke up my siblings. Hurriedly, we went to the neighbor’s house. My heart was pounding like a nail while waiting for the police to arrive.

I quickly ran to check on my mom. As she was being rolled to the ambulance, she told me my father had stabbed her in the abdominal region. I recall being overwhelmed with so much anger. “How could my father do this?” My father was attempting to kill my mother in her sleep!

In the hospital, I overheard my mom saying she was going to file for a divorce. This incident had really opened up my mother’s eyes on the dangers of my father’s addiction. God has answered my prayers, I thought to myself.

With the finalization of my parents’ divorce came a series of custody cases. Although, my siblings and I preferred to stay with our mother, it wasn’t up to us. Waiting for the verdict in that courtroom was very petrifying. After, what felt like hours, the judge had decided.

“Case summary: after carefully examining both parents, the parent fit for full custody will be Ms. Salazar,” Said the