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Mom Was Scared Of Her Father
I was never scared of mine
Mom grew up in an India fighting for freedom from the British Empire. In hopeful anticipation, her parents named her “Child of Victory”.
She was preceded by two brothers, one of whom died before she was born. As the first daughter, she became her father’s darling — he carried her around until she was almost 5 years old, sometimes even taking her to the office with him.
He had his own business, so he was able to do this.
However, the business also wore him out.
When he got home, he wasn’t always cheerful. As his family grew, so did the business, and his temper became shorter. Mom says all of the children were afraid of him.
Not that he beat up on them — she only remembers him hitting someone once, and it was a bully that was tormenting another child. He was a large man with a large hand. He told the larger child to stop hurting the smaller one, and when he didn’t comply, Grandpa slapped him and loosened his tooth.
No wonder the neighbor kids were wary around him — however, his appearance didn’t help. He was a handsome man, but in a country filled with dark-skinned people, he stood out, which frightened some children. He had milky skin and red hair. \When he became angry, his face turned bright red…
