Even though I was closed off to the outside world in the
backyard, the outside world
did find a way
to touch us. I
remember 9/11, the
day the
terrorists flew planes into
the
where I was when Phillip came running outside to
tell me.
He yelled in his sad voice, “Allissa, did you hear? Someone
just crashed a
plane into one of the Twin Towers
outside going to pee in my pee hole. My outdoor toilet was
full and Phillip
didn’t like to
empty it very
often. I made
myself a pee hole outside, so I was out there when I heard
the news. I rushed
back in the studio and the news was on
channel three. They were showing pictures of the buildings
smoking and helicopters circling. I t was so scary. I kept on
thinking, I wonder
what else they were going to bomb. And
who had done
it? Then the
news reporter started
talking
about all the people that were trapped inside and I started
crying. Phillip and Nancy were crying, too. Phillip said the
“angels” made those terrorists do what they did and
that’s
why he had to expose the “angels” to the world one day. It
made more sense than anything else in the world did at the
time.
Other than 9/11, there were no real “events” in my life to
recall. I didn’t
really have any of the typical milestones that
other kids enjoy.
Like first crush,
first date, getting
my
driver’s
license. I remember,
I think I
was twenty-one or
twenty-two and I had gone with Phillip for
the drive to the
paper place where
we got our
paper for the
printing
business in Concord
Traffic always makes me feel sick. I felt like I
was going to
throw up, so he pulled over for a minute. He said it was too
bad I was sick
because he was going to teach me how to
drive that day. I was
feeling too sick to say anything, so I
just
shrugged. On the inside I
was so disappointed. I wonder if
he really was going to teach me to drive that day. I always
wanted to learn how to drive. My girls always thought it was
weird that I didn’t
know how to drive yet. They would ask me
why, and I would say because I
didn’t want to and maybe
one day I would. What else could I say?
They asked their
dad, too, but he
would say something like, “Allissa will be
able to learn how
to drive one day and I am really
looking
forward to that day.” Again I
would wonder when that day
would ever come. One time I
was out shopping with Nancy
and she said, why don’t you sit in the driver’s seat and
give
it a try? I was
a little scared. I was
probably twenty-five or
twenty-six at the time and had never even sat in the
driver’s
seat before. I t was
a foreign concept to me even
though I
longed to be able to drive. I did get in the driver’s seat and
she said to
start it up,
and I did,
but I guess
I hit the
accelerator a
little too hard
and almost backed
into the
truck that was
coming in behind
us. Nancy
freaked out and that
was the
last time she let me
try. So I
didn’t learn to drive until I was twenty-nine and out in the real
world.
I can’t say I
remember turning sixteen. I was
already a
mom. My oldest daughter was
almost two by
then. I also
never got the
chance to graduate
from high school
(although I do hope
to earn my GED one day).
I do remember,
however, when my sister, Shayna, turned
sixteen. I was
twenty-six and by then living in Phillip’s secret
backyard in my own tent! I
loved the freedom of having my
own room. When the printing business was making good
money, Phillip would give me and Nancy an allowance to
spend. I bought
roses to put around my tent and used
the
bamboo growing in
the back to
make my own
fence
surrounding my room.
I planted morning
glories, purple
ones, and they
grew up to
engulf my makeshift fence of
bamboo. I made a
walking path of stones to the front of my
room, so when it
rained I
wouldn’t get sand in there.
I had
my own things,
and Nancy and
I would go
thrift store
shopping for clothes, knickknacks, and shoes.
I remember waking up
on January 16th, 2006, and the
very first thing I
did that morning was say out loud to nobody
in particular, ’cause
I was all by
myself out there,
I said,
“Happy Sixteenth Birthday, Shayna!” I really wished I could
be there to celebrate with her on that day. I wondered what
she looked like and if she was happy. I wonder if she had a
sweet sixteen birthday party. I so wanted to be with her on
that day. That’s
all I could
think about all
day for some
reason. Phillip Garrido
took many things from
me, and
watching my sister grow up was one of them. I have loved
my sister since the day she was born and dreamed about
one day being her best friend. I was always a shy kid and
she represented a
twenty-four-hour companion for
me.
Although it was hard
sometimes to watch how much Carl
loved her more than
me, that didn’t
change my feelings
toward her. I
have never really
thought of her as
my half
sister, she’s always just been my little sis. I wanted so much
to do things
with her. Like,
I couldn’t wait
for her to get
older, so we could
ride the bus together.
I would see
the
other girls with their
sisters and couldn’t wait
for the day
when I could
introduce my little sister to them. Or if my sister
was being picked on, as her older sister I could come to the
rescue and chase away all the bullies. I had so many plans
for us, but all of it was stolen away.
When I saw my now
grown-up little sister for the first time
at age nineteen,
I was amazed. She was so
beautiful and
tall. She was
wearing white that
day. My first
thought: I
wonder if she’s a nurse? But I learned later she wasn’t. She
was still in college
and trying to decide what she wants to
be in this world.
I think she
should take all
the time she
needs to figure that out. She’s very smart and perceptive. I
t
has been hard getting to know her. I have been so busy with
my own kids,
and she has
a life of
her own. From
her
perspective: She was a baby when Phillip took me from our
family. She never knew me. She grew up hearing about her
sister “Jaycee” that was kidnapped when she was eleven
years old, but she didn’t remember me. On the other hand, I
remember her and I
remember playing with her as a baby. I
just didn’t know
the person she
grew up to be.
We have
plenty of time
to build a
lasting friendship. The
base is
already there,
which is our deep love
for one another; the
rest will come with time.
My sister Shayna actually taught me to drive. How ironic
is that—my little
sister teaching me, her big sister by
ten
years, to drive. I t was great, though. She was the first
one to
say, Come on,
let’s go for
a drive. And
she was an
awesome teacher. She
was very relaxed and calm. I was
shaking and scared
to death the first time
I got into my
mom’s car (yes, I
used my mom’s car). I was giddy
with joy,
and adrenaline was
pumping through my
veins. I was
ecstatic. I learned
to drive on a very winding lane. I think
in
the long run
that was great
experience for me.
After I
received my driver’s
license, thanks to the
generosity of a
complete
stranger, I was
given the incredible
gift of a
brand-new car! T o me my car is much more than just a car;
to me it represents my newfound freedom. I can
now take
my girls places and go where I want to go anytime.
By the time I got my
license, I wasn’t the best driver, but I
was a very cautious driver. Still am. In fact, my mom teases
me about my “two hands on the wheel and looking straight
ahead” driving style. But
I like to be cautious and careful.
Driving is becoming
much more comfortable for me now,
and I feel like
I could drive just about anywhere, which
is so
cool. I am
now driving my kids
back and forth
to school
every day. How amazing is that! Who would have thought I
would be actually
driving my girls to
school and packing
their lunches and
being able to
take a walk
with them
whenever we want. I
t just
really amazes me that I am
now
free.
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন