I just clicked to something ... ... ... ... Today is the 12th anniversary of my nephew Kym being taken away from me. I had looked after him on and off since he was a baby and he came to live with me when he was almost 5. My brother had left him in my care because he didn't want the responsibility of him anymore. I didn't mind because I had looked after Kim since he was in nappies. People even thought he was my son when we went out anywhere. The big fella was only a baby when we last saw Kym but he used to get so excited when Kym would come home from school because they would always play together.
I still remember the day he was taken from me very clearly. I had written a letter to his mother asking her if she wanted to see Kym and possibly take him back into her care but she hadn't received the letter because she was already in Adelaide planning on taking Kym.
In fact she took him from in front of my house one night right before dinner time. I'd asked Kym to take Alex (a neighbours little boy who lived two houses away) a toy he had left out the front of ou place. I thought that Kym would be back really quickly but he didn't come home. I was so worried I went out the front calling his name. How could a child just disappear from the street when he was only going two doors away to take back a toy?? In fact no one had seen him. He was just gone. I even phoned the police and they came. Not that I knew at the time but his mother had contacted them (the police) and informed them about her intentions about taking Kym.
She had snatched him off the street right in from of Alex's place.
The police came and informed me that his mother had Kym. My Mum was with me and she was so upset, just as upset as I was and it was the one and only time I ever swore in front of my Mum. Mum never said boo when I called Kym's mother a f*cking b*tch!
Apparently she was sitting in a car near Alex's place, two doors down from me, with Kym in the car. She had covered his mouth so that I would hear him calling for me. I had seen the car but I didn't think or should I say I never thought that he would've been inside that car.
Shortly after this happened within a day Kym's mother contacted me and asked if we could talk. Mum said I was mad for agreeing to talk with her. In fact Mum was mad at me for packing some of Kyms belongings to give to him. I can just hear Mum now saying "She calls herself a Christian woman and she does this to you?"
I mean what could I say to Mum other than Mum this is Kyms stuff and I bought it for him. Just because his mother has done this doesn't mean I should punish Kym and prevent him from having the things that I gave him.
I truly believed and still believe that it was right thing to do & to give Kym the things that were his. Even the brand new things that I had only just gotten off lay-by for him a few days before all of this happened. I thought that he has the right to have things that his Auntie & Uncle had bought for him.
It still breaks my heart that these events happened as they did. That if only his mother had waited for a few days before deciding to come all the way from New South Wales to grab him. She would've had Kym with her. There would've been no anger or scene created. Things would've gone more smoothly.
Over the years I have thought about what kind of young man Kym would have turned out to be .. he is a young man now after all. He will be 20 this year. I often wonder if he will come looking for his Auntie who had looked after him when he was little. Perhaps one day he may even come looking for me.. ..
