Vivian and her siblings were pretty close in age, she said she found herself having so much fun when she was playing with them as she reflects on this portion of her past. She mentioned how one would get in trouble for something they did and everyone would eventually be in trouble, because when eye contact was made the room would fill with uncontrollable laughter. They lived in a relatively nice area which a lot of surrounding kids and family members. They lived directly behind a nice spacious park with had a few basketball courts, swing sets, slides and other things you would find on a playground; There was also a swimming pool and a recreation center to keep these busy younglings out of trouble. “The time that I spent being a child, are some of my best memories. I remember this lady that worked inside of the Martin Luther King Center, where we used to go play, that would go above and beyond her call of duty; because of her all the children in the surrounding area that wanted to be involved would be rewarded. Every summer she would instruct a cooking class, take us on field trips, and she would even purchase season passes to the swimming pool at the park …show more content…
Around the same time Vivian and the other children met the man Tonia, the newest addition, would call dad. Doris’ children quickly learned that this man was very different from the man they called dad. Edward was the type of man that put himself before any and every one, even his own children. If he didn’t get what he wanted when he wanted he would go on a rampage. “I remember him always calling me fat and a few other inappropriate names. Mom would never say anything to him because she was so afraid of him” (Cleveland). Her mother was blinded by the love because she refused to try to leave, she took an extensive amount of physical and verbal abuse. Vivian and the other children witnessed these beatings often, but it was her mother who had to make the decision to leave. Edward and Doris had brought two more children into the world by 1977. November 1973 was when Vivian was handed the newborn child of Edward and Doris. When her mother brought home her 6th and 7th born children, both were handed directly to Vivian for nurturing. Vivian had become a mother at the age of