Kyle H. Redemption
Without Prejudice
He is my oldest grand son and I have always adored him.
I haven't always cared for what he did, but he has managed to take in his counselling and make it work.
Finally.
He had the best start in life and then shock after shock, some more heart breaking than others.
I remember when his little brother was born five weeks early and he cut the cord.
His Dad having robbed his Mum of car and debit card and taking off from the Hospital,
He was called at High School and jogged to the hospital to be there at the birth. He was 14.
When he finally rang his Dad, the phone call was awful.
" Why do you do this stuff" he asked and he sobbed down the phone to the drug addicted, jail bird, Deadbeat Dad.
There was no answer for Kyle that day.
He had taken on the role of the recidivist Dad. Took his five week prem baby brother into his own bed and looked after him.
Whenever we looked for the tiny baby he was with Kyle.
He was already looking after his 4 other brothers.
He rebelled after a while.
His Mum took up with one of his friends at his 18th Birthday and he rebelled, hated her.
He left home then. Broke up with his childhood girlfriend and promised to
" Hate the World "
He was heartbroken his girlfriend would not take him back. Even though he knew it was his fault she wouldn't.
His Father arrived once on the front doorstep and struck him, but he would not hit him back.
Once going to pick his Dad up from Prison, proud to show off his own Son.
He returned later to his new girlfriend,
Went face down on the bed,
" Guess how long it took him to go back on drugs? " he asked of his girlfriend.
When she asked how long
Kyle replied,
" Twelve hours"
He had not been able to sleep the night before, thinking his Dad had turned a corner after a long " stretch " , excited to show off his own new life and baby boy.
Kyle turned to gambling and became badly addicted.
Jailed for a first driving offence to his and our shock and horror, we helped out as a family and he was out for his twenty first birthday, six weeks later,
And within two weeks offended again, and again and again.
Back to jail, this time for 10 months.
He had had the benefit of counselling, the benefit of Family support.
But this time we ignored him. Let him do his time on his own.
He hated it.
Saw an old lag stabbed in the face.
An old friend of his Father's from the old Keysborough days.
A man that promised to look after him on the inside. The old lag was shipped to hospital the next day and eventually out of prison all together. Kyle remained on his own, kept his own counsel, waited it out.
That was three years ago, now.
I spoke to his lawyers secretary, Karin, the other day.
She remembered me as Kyle's Nana.
She said what a wonderful boy he was.
"Pardon ?" I said.
" I and his lawyer knew he would always go straight" she said.
" He was always different to the others" she said.
" I see some of his old mates from time to time, still in trouble, but we always knew Kyle would go straight, he is a great kid, with a great family "
I hung up in a daze. Kyle ? Getting great press.?
I rang him. I told him what the secretary had said.
He was used to only put downs and people recalling his past. Even he did it.
He said he no longer saw the " mates" , kept himself away from them. Not going back there.
Happy to be a stay at home Dad. Unlike his Dad who was " never there ". He always wanted the best for himself and kids, despite his parents.
Has kept out of trouble.
That long ago counselling had finally kicked in.
That he had learned from his past and was unwilling to drag it into the future.
May he continue to prosper.
He is my oldest grand son and I have always adored him.
I haven't always cared for what he did, but he has managed to take in his counselling and make it work.
Finally.
He had the best start in life and then shock after shock, some more heart breaking than others.
I remember when his little brother was born five weeks early and he cut the cord.
His Dad having robbed his Mum of car and debit card and taking off from the Hospital,
He was called at High School and jogged to the hospital to be there at the birth. He was 14.
When he finally rang his Dad, the phone call was awful.
" Why do you do this stuff" he asked and he sobbed down the phone to the drug addicted, jail bird, Deadbeat Dad.
There was no answer for Kyle that day.
He had taken on the role of the recidivist Dad. Took his five week prem baby brother into his own bed and looked after him.
Whenever we looked for the tiny baby he was with Kyle.
He was already looking after his 4 other brothers.
He rebelled after a while.
His Mum took up with one of his friends at his 18th Birthday and he rebelled, hated her.
He left home then. Broke up with his childhood girlfriend and promised to
" Hate the World "
He was heartbroken his girlfriend would not take him back. Even though he knew it was his fault she wouldn't.
His Father arrived once on the front doorstep and struck him, but he would not hit him back.
Once going to pick his Dad up from Prison, proud to show off his own Son.
He returned later to his new girlfriend,
Went face down on the bed,
" Guess how long it took him to go back on drugs? " he asked of his girlfriend.
When she asked how long
Kyle replied,
" Twelve hours"
He had not been able to sleep the night before, thinking his Dad had turned a corner after a long " stretch " , excited to show off his own new life and baby boy.
Kyle turned to gambling and became badly addicted.
Jailed for a first driving offence to his and our shock and horror, we helped out as a family and he was out for his twenty first birthday, six weeks later,
And within two weeks offended again, and again and again.
Back to jail, this time for 10 months.
He had had the benefit of counselling, the benefit of Family support.
But this time we ignored him. Let him do his time on his own.
He hated it.
Saw an old lag stabbed in the face.
An old friend of his Father's from the old Keysborough days.
A man that promised to look after him on the inside. The old lag was shipped to hospital the next day and eventually out of prison all together. Kyle remained on his own, kept his own counsel, waited it out.
That was three years ago, now.
I spoke to his lawyers secretary, Karin, the other day.
She remembered me as Kyle's Nana.
She said what a wonderful boy he was.
"Pardon ?" I said.
" I and his lawyer knew he would always go straight" she said.
" He was always different to the others" she said.
" I see some of his old mates from time to time, still in trouble, but we always knew Kyle would go straight, he is a great kid, with a great family "
I hung up in a daze. Kyle ? Getting great press.?
I rang him. I told him what the secretary had said.
He was used to only put downs and people recalling his past. Even he did it.
He said he no longer saw the " mates" , kept himself away from them. Not going back there.
Happy to be a stay at home Dad. Unlike his Dad who was " never there ". He always wanted the best for himself and kids, despite his parents.
Has kept out of trouble.
That long ago counselling had finally kicked in.
That he had learned from his past and was unwilling to drag it into the future.
May he continue to prosper.
