HEARTSRINGS AND MILESTONES: MY FAMILY👪💖

I grew up in a middle class family, a working father and a stay at home mom. I am the oldest of 3 siblings. When I was about 8 years old, my father who worked as carpenter, just up and left without warning or reason. We only knew that he had a work gig in another province and that he'll be back in 2 weeks but he never came back. My sister, the one who comes after me, was 18 months and she never knew our father. Most of my family members were still alive aside from my grandfather who died in 2008 and my great grand parents (I don't know when they passed). My mother's family was quite supportive (well some of them were) and even though things were hard, my uncle and my aunts were there for us. 

There was an elderly man in the our neighborhood named Philip. I regard him as family because  he was more like a father to my mother and a grandfather to us. He used to come over to our house everyday and buy bread and 2 diapers from the convenient around the corner for my little sister. He was very fond of our family. He passed away, I don't remember the year, but we were devastated. May his precious soul rest in eternal peace. Shortly after that, my mother met a guy. His name is Richard and he is originally from Mozambique but moved to Cape Town when he was 14. He was more like a savior. He took care of us and my mother was even able to get a job. Things were looking up and I even got moved to a new school next to my home. This was in 2012 and that's when my youngest sibling was conceived. It was now me and my 2 little sisters.