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The
following Stories are NOT for everyone.
These stories are of My Life dealing with men,
Domestic Violence, Rape and Pain.
They are my personal experiences, some are a bit graphic.
Return to the main part of my site,
if you think you might become offended.
(Press the Back Button on your Browser or
go
to the bottom of this page a Click Home)
Anyone who Wishes to stay,
I
thank you for taking the time.
I am not putting my experiences here for anyone's Pity.
I am sharing my experiences to help myself heal and also to
help anyone who may have experienced something similar.
YOU
ARE NOT ALONE, YOU CAN SURVIVE !
Abusive
patterns repeat if you
YOURSELF
do not break them.
Some say "THEY COME TO ME !"
I said "BECAUSE YOU LET THEM !"
Realize you are worth more than the life they give you,
and dismiss anyone who treats you otherwise.

JOE
Black Male, 18 years,
Bronx New York
His name was Joe. I was 13 and had just entered Middle School.
He was 18 and in High School. I met him through a classmate. He
right away started his act. Meeting me after school and walking
with me a bit. Taking me for a walk in the park and giving
me my first French Kiss. Telling me how much he liked me. I right
away told him I didn't want to have sex.
He said "I will wait for you, you're special".
YEAH RIGHT! I saw him every once in a while. Talked with him
a bit on the phone. He was nice and sweet and I thought no one
would understand that he did like me. I was a tall girl about 5'10
at 13 and had the body of a woman. I dressed decently nothing
flashy or in style. I thought "He really has to like me since
I not like the other girls."
During this time I moved to my father's home and didn't talk to
Joe very much. Until one day I decided to call. He told me to come
by his house. I did and got in big trouble with my father for it.
I didn't see him until 4 months later. I had been looking for a
summer job. I had already turned 14. I was looking and applying in
an area that was not too far from my old neighborhood. He told me
to call if I was ever near by. And I did, one summer day
after I had put in some applications for jobs. He came and picked
me up and we took the bus ride to his house. Everything seemed
fine at first. We sat in the living room and talked, he kissed me,
told me that he had missed talking to me. I told him about my new
School and so forth. He says to me "Let's go into my Mom's
bedroom she has a big TV in there". He didn't have a
bedroom because he slept on the pull out couch. I thought
about it and said "OK." We sat on the bed and watched
TV. a bit and then he started to kiss me. He touched me through my
clothes. When he asked me to take them off I said "No let's
go back in the Living Room." Joe said me "Come on don't
go over there." I did anyway and sat on the Couch. He looked
mad when he came into the Living Room after me. "Why you do
that for?" Joe said in an annoyed voice. I didn't want it to
go further, I was a Virgin and wasn't about to have sex with
him. I liked him very much but I wasn't ready for what was
coming next.
He got mad and pulled me up by my arm. He then pulled a Butcher
Knife out from under a seat cushion. "NOW LISTEN TO ME"
he said. "Go in that Bedroom and get on that bed."
"Take your clothes off and wait for me." I looked at him
with a Face that said "YEAH RIGHT!", and started to walk
to the door to leave. Joe then took the Butcher Knife to my throat
and walked me to the bedroom. He shoved me inside, "HURRY
UP" he yelled at me. I was now really scared. I didn't think
he was serious when he pulled that Knife out. " Would he
really hurt me?" I wondered. I took off all my
clothes except my bra and panties. "ALL OF THEM" he
shouted to me, and I did, I took them all off. I sat on the
bed and he came over to me and took his clothes off. I was very
nervous and didn't know what to do. He has that Knife in his
hand a twirled it around a bit then put it right to my
throat. I looked in his eyes and I saw such a
evilness. His eyes were like pure hate.
He pushed me down on the bed and laid on top of me. He rubbed
himself against me, he didn't enter me but he ejaculated on my
privates. All the while he keep that Butcher Knife right by the
side of my head. "GO CLEAN UP" he shouted after he
finished. I ran to the bathroom and did as told and got dressed. I
was so nervous and scared. He was standing right by the
bathroom door when I opened it, "I want to go". I said
after coming out. "Not yet" he said. He made me fix him
a sand-which, and made me sit and watch while he ate it. I just
wanted to leave and go home. "So you going to tell anyone
about this?" He asked. "No" I said watching the
Butcher Knife. He began to iron some clothes. "You better
not." Joe said. He then walked over to me and slapped me a
few times. "YOU WANT ME TO BURN YOU WITH THIS IRON HUH!"
"RIGHT ON YOU FACE HUH?" "NO" I cried with
tears running down my face. "Can I go I just want to
go." He pushed me to the door and unlocked it. I walked out
and slowly walked to the front door. As soon as I was outside I
ran for my life. Tears spilling from my eyes. I ran into traffic
almost got hit by a car trying to get to the bus stop.
I was so happy when I made it. But the Bus was starting to
leave and I ran after it. I ran for almost a block, I
was banging on the door. PLEASE PLEASE OPEN THE
DOOR! The bus driver must have thought I was nuts but
he opened the door. "Are you ok?" he asked.
"I'm fine, I'm ok." I replied. I was a total mess,
my hair in all directions and my face red from being hit and my
cheeks tear soaked. I walked to the back of the bus and I
cried all the way to my Mother's home. I waited there for her
since she wasn't home, I tried to make myself look better so
she wouldn't know what happened to me. When my mother got
home I called my father and he picked me up later that evening.
A few month's later I told my doctor about my secret when I went
for a routine exam. She told my father and he was mad at me
because now he would have to go report what Joe did to me. I felt
so much worse, I wish I had never told my doctor. My father cursed
me out all the way to the police station. He was sick and in pain
and I felt like shit. My father made me feel like I was totally
worthless. He said "NOW I HAVE TO GO RUNNING AROUND REPORTING
THIS SHIT!" "IF I DON'T THAT STUPID DOCTOR WILL CALL
SOCIAL SERVICES!" I will never forget those words my father
uttered. I think he must have forgotten that just because you go
to a boy's house, doesn't mean he can put a Butcher Knife to your
throat and make you do things you don't want to do.

JAMES
Black Male, 21 years, Bronx New
York
A friend
of mine hooked us up. I was 15 and he was 21. He would talk to me
as if I wasn't anything special. "Girls like you come a dime
a dozen." James would say. He made me feel like he was
someone I needed in my life, like I couldn't get anyone better
than him. He slapped me so hard in the train once that my face
turned a horrible red. He continued to shout and curse me the
whole ride. I was so embarrassed and my face hurt.
Everyone on the train was looking while he told me what a stupid
little bitch I was. I just sat there and
cried. The worst thing he did was make me perform oral
sex on someone he said was his cousin. He believed in sharing
girlfriends. When I refused he pulled my hair so hard he almost
ripped it out. He degraded me to the point that I felt I was a
nobody that I was worse than dirt. I tried very hard to remember
that I was worth more than this and pulled myself together and
left him and the whole area all together. I felt home and
ran away. Later I found out that that his face had been
slashed by some person he crossed. I was very happy about that.

EDDIE
Hispanic Male, 21 years,
Manhattan New York
I was 16 when I met Eddie. I was in a shelter for youths ages 21
and under. I couldn't continue to live at my Father's house
because of many reasons. I was also pregnant and alone. I met
Eddie who was 21 and he treated me so nice. He wasn't very good
looking, but, he actually seemed to care about me. He knew I was
pregnant and he said he didn't care, to love me is to love my
child also. I was overjoyed and clung to him desperately. He also
was in the Shelter. We felt like two young people in love and
facing the world alone. Within a week of meeting him, the child
inside me was sick and the doctors took it away. I was empty and
didn't know what to do. I had to start a new life.
Then the abuse started. It was not on one occasion it was many
times a day. We
would argue and he always wanted his way. He would choke me until
I nearly passed out. He hit me, punched me, slammed me into walls
so hard I would lose my breath. He would pull me by my hair, make
me give him my food and made me feel guilty for it all. I begged
in the street for money to eat because he would eat most of my
food portions. I thought of killing myself. It was all happening
so fast. Eddie talked so badly to me, he made me feel like I was
nothing and he would threaten to kill himself if I left him. One
time he even threatened to slit his wrists with glass. I said
"Go ahead, but, I am still leaving you." When he acted
like he was going to slit his wrists, the glass cut him a little
bit and he started to bleed. Then he started hitting me
saying "LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!" He apologized
so sweetly that I knew he would never do it again. Until he did it
again. I couldn't get rid of him. I was terrified of him but
couldn't let him go, I didn't want to.
One occasion I remember us fighting and I left the area. I walked
and walked, I started to return to the Shelter and I saw him
running at me at full speed. I screamed a horrible scream so loud
the whole block looked our way. I thought he was going to hit me,
I dropped to my knees in tears. Everyone outside the shelter saw
it and they told the counselors. Everyone knew he was abusing me
and everyone tried to get me to break up with him. The Shelter
tried to get me to go back home to my father. They set up a
meeting for us. Being so mad at my father for previous things, I
left the Shelter with Eddie and we lived on the streets. Sleeping
in subways, on sidewalks, in parks. I remember passing by my
mother's house for a bath. I stayed 2 hours and Eddie screamed at
me for staying so long. Some good friends of his let us stay with
them a few days. But I had to go back to the shelter to get
clothes and when I did, they had police waiting for me there. They
were going to arrest me, my father had told them to arrest me if I
returned to the Shelter. One of the counselors at the Shelter took
personal responsibility for me and promised I wouldn't leave until
my Family Court date. My father had decided to take me to Family
Court to try to put me in a group home. That is exactly where I
ended up in a group home and spent the next few months being
shipped around from borough living in some really nasty
places. I saw Eddie a few times after that. But the
bond was slowing breaking. I went away upstate to school and have
never seen him since.
NATHANIEL
Black - American
Indian Male, 21 years, Bronx New York
In many ways he the worst. I didn't know him as Nathaniel
at first. His name was Kevin. I was 18 and he was 21. I had
finished school and was in my own apartment. I met him on the same
block I lived. He was handsome and had a quality about him. I was
interested at first sight and so was he. I didn't know that when
he saw me his first thought was that I would make a good
Prostitute. Young, Tall, Strong, Big and Beautiful. Perfect in his
mind for a Whore. But, no I didn't give in to his Pimp Tricks. He
ended up falling in love with me in a horrible Love - Hate
relationship. He hated women because of his mother. After meeting
her I can see why he felt that way. He was addicted to pot, it was
the only thing on his mind. By the time I found out he didn't
really have a job, and about his awful ways I was already in a
trap. He was living with me and I was pregnant with his child.
Most of the abuse was for control. He wanted to control me. I was
fighting because I didn't want the abuse. I couldn't work anymore
because I was pregnant and had such bad morning sickness. I didn't
have medical care or vitamins. I didn't have any income. The
beatings were frequent. I would hide any money I had in the walls
and door frames of my apartment. When I didn't give him money he
would beat me. He needed at least 10 dollars a day for his pot
habit. It seemed like he couldn't even think without his morning
smoke. He punched me with his fists, beat me with a blow-dryer, a
cord, the only part of my body he didn't hit was my face. He
thought I was beautiful and wouldn't hurt my face. One time he put
what I thought was a loaded gun to my head and pulled the trigger,
THANK GOD it wasn't loaded. He would look at the purple and black
bruises on my body and he would say, "I DIDN'T DO THAT"
and he would cry sometimes. I LOVED HIM WITH ALL MY HEART. He
wanted everything his way, my makeup, when I talked, how I talked,
what I wore, when I went places, he wanted me to appear as a whore
but wanted me to himself. He even cracked a man's head for talking
to me. He would force me to do what he wanted whether I wanted it
or not. Sex, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, even if I fought him he would
overpower me. He liked to overpower me. He was my height 6'2 and
extremely strong and large, with knowledge of the Martial Arts. I
fought with myself over this situation, but LOVE OVERPOWERED ME.
When I was 6 months pregnant and starting to show he stopped
hitting me. He even seemed to care. When he was high on pot he was
cruel and hateful with his words to me. He was arrested on gun
possession when I was 7 months pregnant, I stood by him. He went
back and forth to court. I started going to the doctor between my
6th and 7th month. I gave birth to a beautiful daughter. He loved
her and so did I. Three weeks after her birth he had a court date,
it seemed that he would get parole since it was a first offense.
He never came home from court. When his lawyer called that
afternoon, he told me that the man I knew as Kevin Z. was really
named Nathaniel H. and was wanted for murder. He had been on the
run for 4 years. He is now doing life in a Maximum Security Prison
in Boston. He may have had a awful life and I understand this,
but, if you cannot control yourself you shouldn't hurt others. I
still speak to him on occasion and send him pictures of his
daughter. He even asked me to marry him but I refused. The irony
is somewhere in my heart I still love him. But now there is a
difference. I know he is not good for me.

GREG
Black - Haitian Male, 22 years,
Brooklyn New York
I thought I had learned my lesson by now. Not another man would
hurt me I would say to myself. I was 19 my daughter's father was
in jail and I was alone. A close friend of mine was my roommate
for a short time. That is when I met Greg, the friend of my
friend. Greg was 22 and was in college. I was impressed, He spoke
intelligently and was curious about me. I thought he was someone
different. He didn't have much experience with women, hardly any
girlfriends, lived with his parents and went to school. I thought
he sure is different, I was so wrong. He was very into a certain
group that is popular a kind of religious group. I got into it,
but, there view on women are not good. He took the view to the
extreme. Women were meant to serve men and take care of them. I
personally don't mind taking care of a man as long as he takes
care of me also. It seemed that as soon as he met me Greg didn't
want to go to school anymore. He would come to my house all day
and eat my food. I didn't have much being on welfare with a baby
and all on my own. My first priority was my child and he didn't
like that. He wanted me to consider him first. I told him
"HELL NO" my baby comes first. The man used to love baby
food the desert, I actually had to fight with him not to eat my
daughter's food. I would take all my food stamps and buy her food
for the month first so I had a cabinet stocked with all her food.
Greg would say "You got so much here can't I have one?"
"I will buy her another one." I would always respond
with "If you want to buy one buy it for yourself."
"I buy only enough for her not for you." I was not about
to let him eat my daughter's food. He doesn't got a job how he
going to buy anything.
But I thought with me catering to him it would encourage him to do
better. Got to give my people a chance, got to give my black men a
chance, all it did was made him lazier. I would hand wash his
clothes, feed him and his friends, take him places. He never had a
dime, when he came to me I am the one who taught him the basics.
How to properly take care of his face and hair, do his manicure
and pedicure, wash properly always smell good. What deodorant,
shampoo, conditioner to buy and of course I had to pay for all his
things. I bought his clothes, shoes, food, jewelry, personal
products. I bought it all at the expense of myself. I never let my
daughter suffer or my siblings who lived with me. I used my money
the little I had. I would save and save every penny to give him
things. I was CRAZY, he continued to use this psychological
bullshit on me. Soon the physical abuse started. I just wouldn't
give in to certain things, and we would fight something terrible.
I wouldn't give in, I wasn't going to let him get away with
certain things. Like trying to make me give him food before the
children. Children eat first, whatever is left we take. I had my
siblings at the time and I received money from my father for them
so I would buy there food and keep it separate for them. He would
want to eat there food. NO WAY I wouldn't allow it, he could eat
anything that was mine but not the children's food. He didn't
treat the kids very nice and I would fight with him about his
attitude.
He took classes at his place of worship that taught Martial Arts.
He would use it on me. He pounded my chest so hard with his palm
that I could feel the loss of breath in me. He knew I was strong
and could hurt him. I was at my limit I wouldn't let a man hit me
with out feeling a bit of my own sting. He once threw me so hard I
crashed into the wall. I am a big woman and never felt that
before. I in return threw him into a wall and broke the sheetrock.
He had this mental game over me. He admired my beauty though, he
bragged about me to all his friends. His little Puerto Rican
Prize, his friends became envious and would look at me in ways I
didn't like. With his beliefs to get a Hispanic woman was a BIG
THING. So he would brag and brag, I was sick of it. I fought with
the constant put downs. "YOU JUST A WOMAN" "THERE
ARE 10 WOMAN FOR EVERY MAN" "YOU WILL NEED ME"
"WOMEN ARE TO SERVE MEN" "YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT A
MAN" "THE MOST HIGH WILL ONLY ACCEPT A WOMAN WHO TREATS
HER MAN RIGHT" I had to keep strong, he never would do a
thing for me. He made me service his physical needs any time
whichever way he wanted. He would have me sit for hours playing
with him. He was greedy and manipulative.
I remember one day I had sent him to get some food from the corner
store. Egg sandwiches with cheese and orange juice. He didn't
check the bags so I was missing an egg sandwich. Of course it
would have been mine right. I asked him to go back and please get
it. He refused, I paid for it and the place was only a block away.
What was I going to eat. Still he refused to go get the sandwich.
He had a cup of orange juice in his hand and I had gotten so mad
that I flung my arm up. Accidentally it hit the cup and orange
juice flew everywhere. He looked at me and took his sandwich and
smashed it in my face and hair. It was hot and it burned. He
didn't even asked me why it happen or gave me a chance to say I am
sorry it was an accident. He then punched me several times in my
head. I was so upset and embarrassed. I thought he would change
but he never did. I did break up with him and he begged on bended
knee. "I NEED YOU, I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO LOVES
ME, PLEASE I WILL CHANGE, GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE." I took him
back, it had so much to do with the politics of the group he was
with the religion. I believed I thought I was displeasing the
Lord. But one day I said to myself. The most high will love me if
I cling to him and not to this man. I did I prayed and prayed some
say that it is impossible but he answered me in a dream. I am not
extremely religion but I do believe in God. I moved into another
neighborhood and broke up with this man. He kept calling me for a
year or two. Trying to get me back. I still know many of people
who he also knows. He still talks about me as if I did something
wrong. He still wants me back though. I saw him one day when I was
walking with my Fiancé. He was preaching in the street, I looked
and him straight in the eyes. I knew he wanted me, my hair had
grown so much longer. My face was flawless in the night light. I
looked at him with a smirk on my face, grabbed my Fiancé and
turned and walked away. He still talks to people about that night.

In no way
does me including the Race of these men mean anything Racially. I
have loved and always will love black men. This is not meant to
bash the Black or Hispanic race. As we all know abuse comes in all
forms and races. The only reason I state the race of these men is
to better explain the fact of thought "GIVING MY PEOPLE A
CHANCE". This thought made me believe that I should give
extra concern and effort toward my Black and Hispanic male as them
being of the same race as myself. I should have given myself the
concern and not the men who entered my life. I put up with much
more that I ever though I would have just for the thought
"GIVING MY PEOPLE A CHANCE" "GIVING MY MAN A
CHANCE" "HELPING OUT MY MAN OF MY RACE" The
thought that women of color don't give men of color a chance and
are always "SELLING OUT" to another race. The truth is
we should be with the man who treats us the proper way.
"RACE" is not the issue here, the way you are treated is
the important thing. Many men no matter what the race, no matter
how they were brought up, no matter what Country, State, Town,
Area are manipulative and hurtful to women. All the men
above knew my age. When I went out with many of them I was
under the legal age. I never tried to hide my age from them,
and still they manipulated me, used me had there way with me
and treated me cruel. Yes I allowed it, I stayed there
and took this abuse until I couldn't take it anymore. PLEASE
teach yourself, your daughter's, your sister's, your cousin's,
your friends their worth. Make them truly believe that they do not
deserve the pain men like the above can inflict on them.
I am now married to a "BLACK - JAMAICAN MALE"
He treats me very well and doesn't hit me.

EPILOGUE
It is April 18, 2001. I have just completed these writings. I am
very drained and depressed. But inside me is another feeling. I
am relieved, finally I have faced some of the things I tried so
hard to forget. I pushed these memories down far inside my
self trying to live and act like they didn't happen.
It affected me and made my life total misery. Now to face
it to say " I went through this, I fought against it and I
am alive, I am living a life with out hurt and pain! "
These past experiences have left me with scars that are hard to
fade. I am very wary of people, I don't trust anyone, I always
look for the meaning behind it all. I am working on myself and
that is what this page is about. Learning to be careful about
who you allow to enter into your life, but also to allow
yourself to love. My daughter is now 7 years old and I am
married going on my 2nd anniversary.
It
has been an uphill battle for me and my husband. He has had
to deal with all the scars on my soul. My flash backs,
nightmares that make me talk and scream, sometimes I stare out
into space while the visions of my past are running through
my mind. It has not been easy for him and it has not been
easy for me to say I love you and mean it. To have enough
trust to give him a bit of my heart has be an on going
battle. BUT I AM WINNING IT! I really am winning this
battle that is inside myself.
I sometimes think, If I had not called JOE. If I had walked out of
the train when JAMES hit me. If I would have left EDDIE the first
time he grabbed me so roughly. If I would have said no when
NATHANIEL asked to move in. If I would have told GREG go to school
or get away from me. If I had done these things I might not have
gone through so much.
If I had loved myself first instead of loving them first. I might
not be so hurt inside and carry these scars.
If you are a woman and reading this page. PLEASE for you own sake
don't ever let a man have so much control over you. If he speaks
badly you don't need him. If he puts you down walk away. If he
thinks of himself more than you. Why cant you do the same and
think of yourself more and leave him? If he hits you never give
him the chance to do it again. Love yourself more than anyone else
can, and you will never let anyone treat you less than you
deserve.
With Love LuvRaqui
Are
You a Survivor ?
If
you are a Survivor of Domestic
Violence, Rape, Pain.
If
you support the cause to Stop Domestic Violence, Rape, Pain.
You
may take the graphic below and put it on your site.
Lets
Bring an end to Domestic Violence, Rape, Pain.
Please
link it back to my home here at Bronx Palace
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