My Name is Bernadette Hall: My Father Set Me Free

by KEB1030

Bernadette knew it was going to be an unusual day when her father rushed into her room and told her that they were leaving. she suffers from clinical depression and a drunk for a father who beats her mother and molests her.

I knew it was an unusual day when my dad came into my room and said, "Get up we're leaving right now!" The series of events that followed were a blur. So instead of starting here I am going to start from the beginning. My name is Bernadette, and I was diagnosed with clinical depression. My name is Bernadette, and I cut myself.

The beginning does not start with this day; the beginning starts with a dreadful day at the hospital listening to my mom cry her eyes out and a father who is too wasted on booze to know when to stop arguing with the doctor. This was the day, October 29, 2009 that I was diagnosed with depression. This is the day my life turned upside down like an acrobat doing flips.

My name is Bernadette and now I am clinically depressed. Life for me couldn't possibly get any worse. I get picked on for being the"creepy girl" at school. I have a drunk for a father who beats my mother and molests me. But I wake up every morning with a smile and the fake, made up personality of an optimistic person. Everyone knows I'm dying inside; everyone but me.

So now I am at school walking in the halls when out of absolutely no where this girl screams "Oh my gosh, look at your arm!"

Only then did I realize I had forgotten to cover up my "cat scratches," that's what I refer to them as. All over my wrist and arm were several red, brown, black, and blue cuts and bruises. Of course no one knows what the bruises are from. It's no surprise that a teacher would be right beside the girl, see my arm and send me to the, well she couldn't decide between the principle and guidance offices, so they called my parents. When my mother arrived we went to the guidance counselor.

After spending the rest of my school day in the guidance counselor's office, we went home. The conversations between the time in the office and the car ride home went something like this.

Mrs. Levi, the teacher who initially saw my arm said "Bernadette, what is the meaning of these?" What are you doing to yourself? We are going to the office to call your parents."

Once we were inside the office without all eyes staring, not at me but my arms. Mrs. Levi told me to sit because this may take long. She wasn't lying.

"Hi. Is this Mrs. Hall, Bernadette's mother?" Mrs. Levi was talking to my mom on the phone using her professional secretary voice. "Yes I'm sorry to bother you but we have a situation involving Bernadette." Now she was using her professional firm voice. "It seems that your daughter has some scratches or cuts on her arms and a few bruises. We were wondering if maybe you knew about this." She listened for a second. "Ok then, when you get here we will discuss it more in the guidance office." And with that she hung up the phone.

It only took a few minutes for my mom to arrive, and when she did you could tell she was on her way to having a serious breakdown. Once we were inside the counselors' office we all sat down in silence and we continued to sit in silence for a while until finally the counselor suggested that my parents check me into a clinic so I suggested that she take that suggestion and put it in the place where she gets her information.

As soon as we got into the car my mom turned to me and said "What is your father going to do?" The only thing he has been doing to me for 9 years. He calls it love, so where are my hugs?

Dad was halfway through his stash of Jack Daniels when we came in. Once mom told him what was going on he grabbed her and threw her across the room then he started walking towards me but stopped and went into the kitchen. I stood there confused until I decided it was time to go to bed. For the first time in 9 years I went to bed without being brutally forced upon by my father and almost hearing the echoes of my muffled screams.

I knew it was going to be an unusual day when my dad came into my room and said "Get up we're leaving right now!" The series of events that happened after that were not a blur. We all got into the car and drove down to Lake Hope. As he parked the car I hoped for the best. I looked at my dad in the rearview mirror and as he looked at me his eyes said I'm sorry. He stepped on the gas pedal and the car went flying into the lake. I smiled because this was for the best and I knew I'd be free. My name is Bernadette Marie Ann Hall and my father set me free.

My Name is Bernadette Marie Ann Hall