Escaping- Emma's Story
With this post I'll be sharing how God finally helped me escape the 7 years of domestic violence that I endured.
In case you are wondering, I will be going forward with a book about my life of domestic violence. For now, enjoy this last post for now. Just continue to keep me in your prayers for God to help me write this book and to endure any backlash that will come with it.
Thank you all for reading my posts and following along on my journey. God is a God of miracles and nothing is impossible to Him!
Yes, I lived 7 years of hell, but because of God's mercy and grace, today I am a strong woman and I have great faith in my Lord and Savior.
Our Escape:
It was July 4, 2001, we were all getting ready to go to the Independence Day Fireworks Show in Portland, Oregon. My little girls were all dressed and watching a movie in their room while I got ready. I remember putting on a pair of jeans, a red sparkly top, my cowgirl belt and some black boots with heels. To many, my clothing wouldn't be an issue, but to him those heel boots and jeans were a HUGE issue. He was shorter than me and he was not having it. He asked me to take them off, but after years of being dominated and abused by him, I refused to. I had reached my breaking point after all my attempts of suicide and I refused.
My refusal prompted him to grab me by the hair, drag me around our living room as he called me vulgar names. Something inside me made me fight back with all my strength and fight I did. So, I bit him on the leg. He then proceeded to kick and punch me. I tried running from him and getting behind furniture out of his reach, but he overturned the sofas and chairs. He finally got a grip on me and punched me in the face, back and breasts. He continued beating, punching and slapping me until I finally passed out. I was unconscious about 2 hrs; meanwhile, my babies were in their room. At one point my 5 year old figured out what was happening and she waited until it was safe to leave her room. She got her chance when he went to use the restroom. She recalls finding me on the living room floor covered in blood and "asleep".
She woke me up and I remember her telling me in Spanish, "Mami, let's go, my daddy is mean to you. I have your car keys and I'll get my sisters. Be quiet though because my daddy is in the restroom." I was in pain and hurting badly. I could hardly move, but I managed to get up off the floor and my oldest came out of her room with her two younger sisters.
As we were leaving the house, he heard the garage door open and he ran out of the restroom with his pants still down trying to stop us from leaving. I knew we would not make it out of the garage in time, so I told my girls "run babies run"!
I grabbed my youngest in my arms while my oldest grabbed her other sister's hand and we ran down the alley until we reached a gas station. We locked ourselves into one of those old phone booths and I called 911. The police arrived and I told them where we lived and what had happened. He was arrested, but I was told to go somewhere safe.
Safe? Where?
I had no family in Oregon. All my family lived in California. I was alone and had no where to go. I went back to the house and I got into my car and drove to the greyhound station. Arriving there, I realized I had no money. He was the one who always had the money, cards and checkbooks. As I was about to give up and go back, I saw a flyer for domestic violence victims on one of the phone booths. I called the 800 number, explained my situation and I was told that someone would arrive to pick us up.
I left my car there and went into hiding for the next 6 months with my girls at a domestic violence shelter. I am so thankful to God for saving my life that day by using my 5 year old to speak truth into me and helping me to finally realize that I had to escape that marriage in order to be free of the domestic violence.
There is so much more to my story, but God willing one day I will write that book. It will be published and then you all can read and share it with others; so, that women and men in domestic violence situations can see that there truly is hope at the end of the dark tunnel.
God bless you all!
Emma