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Hope Reigns
Juliet Poissy
BrazilGALLERYCONVERSATION
The only respite my mother ever got was when my father went on a business trip. He was a very successful businessman, and he...
Wanting to escape from the harsh reality at home, I became very passionate about dancing and school. I excelled in school and danced ballet better than any girl I knew. I reveled in those moments when my ballet teacher selected me to do solos at the end-of-the-year recitals.
When I was about nine years old, I found my best friend crying at a local club we attended. I asked her what was wrong, and she explained that her parents were getting divorced. I had never heard of such a thing and her explanation enlightened me: I had finally found a way out for my mom. I ran home to tell her the good news. However, she told me that divorce was impossible because our religion did not permit it and it was sinful to even think about it.
My parents finally separated when I was 13 years old. I had seen my father with his mistress in the parking lot of a convenience store, his car windows foggy from the heat they were making inside. My first impulse was to knock on the window, but I was afraid for my life so I just went home and told my mother. She simply nodded her head and spoke briefly about men's universal needs and nonchalantly described cheating as something men just do.
As a teenager, I dated many boys but I always made sure that they loved me more than I loved them. In that way, I avoided getting hurt. A year after my parents divorced, I quit dancing. I finally understood that my mother was trapped in an abusive marriage not only because of our religion, but also because she couldn't be financially independent - she did not have a college degree or a profession.
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