Poverty

Karlla

Member
I'm a little girl, don't know what age but it's elementary school age, and I live in some warm country, getting India vibes but probs somewhere different, with my family. I'm an only child and we are poor, so my mum struggles to earn enough money to raise me. I don't know the role of my father and why no one seems to look at him for financial support, but there was a father figure in my family.
One day my mum and I go to some check point where authorities decide whether or not they will take me away from my family and put me into child care. This time we get away with a warning, but next time if my mum cannot earn enough money, they will take me away. I'm always happy and thinking positively nonetheless.
There is a lady, I forgot her name upon waking up, in the neighbourhood who always helps me out when things are tight at home. I go there sometimes and ask her for money and she always readily gives it to me. Then I take the money to by veggies for dinner at the market. My mom scolds me for it sometimes, but I have a vision, more like a premonition, that one day as a grown-up I'll will be helping her and returning all the favours I have ever got from her.
One day I go to have my hair cut, and I end up with a really weird hair style. My originally long black hair is crudely cropped short, but I don't seem to mind how silly I look now. Like this I go to the next inspection alone, but this time they put a big red stamp on my forehead. I return home devastated, cause in a couple days authorities will come and take me away. My dad finds makeup in some drawer and puts some in my face to cover up the stamp. As we struggle to find a brush or sponge to spread the makeup, I become really sad, and even the tickles and hugs of my mum cannot cheer me up. I lie on some kind of mattress with my teary eyes closed.
The scene shifts. I still lie on a mattress, or bed, with the same closed teary eye and my mum trying to cheer me up, but we are in Germany now, in Düsseldorf? Frankfurt? dammit I forgot but some big city. Suddenly my mum jumps up and shares her idea with us: although we have just come here, she wants to move us to Wittenberg, I don't recall why tho. She seems excited.
- the end -​
 

StJoseph

New member
Notes:
Sympathetic towards mother, not necessarily towards father. Wants to repay her mother for her sacrifice. Hair cut denoting a big change as she goes alone to the next meeting. They judge her harshly. Father attempting to help "cover up"? Closed teary eyes is a big deal maybe. Seems they moved around a lot.

Questions for Karlla:
Did you go through a big life/family shift or move in elementary school? Were you happy in elementary school? Did your father ever do anything that would hurt your trust? Trying to "cover something up"? It seems from the haircut and going to the meeting alone that you wanted to be an adult and responsible for yourself to help your mother, but you were unsuccessful. Did your father leave? Is moving to Wittenburg also mean leaving your father? Or would he have gone with you?
 

Karlla

Member
I couple days after writing this I suddenly recalled where the "weird haircut" comes from. A day or two prior to the dream I saw an old man with an ill-fitted toupee on the train. He looked so ridiculous that it left enough of an impression to make it into my dreams, and my haircut looked exactly like that toupee. 🤣

Questions for Karlla:
Did you go through a big life/family shift or move in elementary school? Were you happy in elementary school? Did your father ever do anything that would hurt your trust? Trying to "cover something up"? It seems from the haircut and going to the meeting alone that you wanted to be an adult and responsible for yourself to help your mother, but you were unsuccessful. Did your father leave? Is moving to Wittenburg also mean leaving your father? Or would he have gone with you?
Well, my parents got divorced just before I entered school. I changed schools after first grade, but it was not a big move. The first bigger move was in middle school rather.
As far as I remember I was happy in elementary school.
My dad, to this date, tends to make promises he won't keep. So I guess, the answer is yes.
I don't know what to say about that part, really. For a very long time I was totally dependent of my mum. I still depend on other people, although I have reclaimed some of my independence. I don't think I ever tried to be more responsible to help my mum, but I recall feeling super frustrated about my own helplessness.
My dream family was very close. My parents' relationship, as well as my relationship with my dad, was harmonious and trusting. He would accompany us, of course. But my mum was the driving force in the family.
 
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