Carlene Larmond, LSW
Peniel: Women in Treatment:
The Story of Amelia’s Mom

Fourteen-year old Amelia hurried up the driveway of the beautiful two-story brick house, clutching the colorful pamphlet she received from the school’s Social Worker earlier that day. She passed her mother’s new Tracer parked almost on top of her five-year old brother’s bike. “Mom’s home.” The thought raced through her mind, “I wonder what condition she’s in today.” It has been three days and 14 hours since she last saw her mother.

Pushing her key into the lock, she paused as a horrible thought gripped her. “I wonder who she’s with this time?” Amelia cautiously opened the door, hastily surveyed the foyer and living room, then raced up the stairs to her bedroom. She thought she saw a light under her mother’s bathroom door and then heard giggling. She also heard a male voice. This brought on a flashback to a month ago when her mother had brought another male “friend” home who had tried to get a little “friendly” with Amelia.

“I better start some dinner,” Amelia thought. “At least I won’t be up here when they get through.” She hurried and changed out of her school clothes and grabbed the pamphlet as she exited the room. She planned to talk with her mother about it.

Amelia carefully placed some spaghetti sauce in the microwave and put some noodles on to boil. From time to time, she glanced out the window to see if her brother’s bus had come.

“Hey, baby.” It was her mother’s voice. Amelia turned around in time to see a longhaired youth slipping out of the house. She pretended not to notice and looked into her mother’s pale green, very dilated pupils. “Hi Mom. I was just fixing dinner.”

“Amelia, I am sorry I did not get a chance to call you but I was so busy with the training the job sent me on, and all.” Lisa carefully avoided her daughter’s eyes.

“Sure Mom.” It was always the same story. “We were fine. Grandma brought us food yesterday. She wanted us to stay with her but I didn’t want to miss school.”

“Did you tell your father you were alone,” her mother asked nervously.

“No Mom. Of course not!” Her father would have picked them up and taken them to his house and there would have been the most horrible fight when her mother returned. Amelia knew she should have told him but did not want to visit with her father’s wife anyway. Nina had referred to her mother as “that junkie” one day when she did not know Amelia was listening. That had hurt her and she did not want to walk in on other conversations like that.

Amelia had just put the spaghetti on the table when her brother’s bus pulled up.
“ Mommy!” Jake ran up the driveway screaming. Lisa picked him up and covered his face with kisses. “I missed you, baby,” she cooed. “How’s kindergarten?”

Jake’s face screwed up into a scowl. “I got a sad face because I hit Tom Redinsky. He was saying bad things so I hit him.”

Amelia hastily intervened. “Jake, why don’t you go wash your hands so we can eat.” She pushed him towards the bathroom. She did not want him to tell her mother that Tom’s sister was also in her class and told some of her friends that her mother said Amelia’s mother had a lot of boyfriends.

Jake returned after a minute and they sat down to dinner. “Mommy, ‘Melia said you went away and Grandma almost took us to her house,” Jake reported.

“I brought you both a gift,” Lisa said hastily. Here we go again, Amelia thought. The classic distraction -- expensive toys to keep them quiet.

After dinner, Amelia reloaded the dishwasher while her mother went to lie on the couch. She picked up the pamphlet and, with heart pounding, cautiously approached the couch.

“Mom, I have some serious to talk to you about.” Nervously, Amelia pushed the pamphlet into her mother’s hand.

“Read this please.”

Lisa raised herself up on one elbow and squinted at the name “PENIEL” printed across the pamphlet. She dropped back down on the couch.

“What is this about, Amelia?” Lisa said in a sharp tone.

Taking a deep breath, Amelia began to tell her mother that she heard about a place called Peniel, a Christian program which helps people and their families with their problems.

“What kind of problems?” her mother asked, still with the same tone.

“Well, I think with drugs and alcohol, and other stuff...” Amelia’s voice trailed away at the angry look in her mother’s eyes.

“Here we go again, Amelia! Are you saying I have a problem with substance abuse.” She stood up.

Amelia backed up so as to be out of harm’s reach in case her mother swung at her. “Yes ma’am. You drink all the time and I found some little white powder on a glass in your bathroom.”

“How dare you go snooping around in my bathroom when I’m not here. You are just like your father; always sneaking around.” She advanced towards Amelia.

Amelia stood her ground. “Mom, look at you. You’ve lost weight, you lie about going to seminars, you have all these strange guys here.” Amelia began to cry. “I love Jake but I am tired of taking care of him and you. I have to make up stories why you don’t come home and lie to Dad and Grandma about where you are. I am tired of it and I think you need to get some help.”

Emboldened by her mother’s silence, Amelia went on. “I read the pamphlet and it sounds just like what you need. Jake and I can stay with Grandma while you get help or someone could live with us. In any case, the program is only a year. It is very successful and ...”

“Alright Amelia,” her mother interrupted, “I will read this pamphlet and think about it. I know a lot is on you and I wish your father had not divorced me and married that woman. I know that things would be different then.”

Amelia stayed silent. She was aware that her mother was attempting to put the blame on her father and distract her from the issue at hand.

“Just read the pamphlet, Mom and think about what I said. By the way, Mrs. Williams permitted me to call Peniel and I spoke to a lady named Ms. Reiter. She will be sending you a packet to give you more information about the program.”

Lisa stood and stared at her daughter. They had had this conversation about her need for treatment before but never had Amelia been so forceful about it. In her heart she knew her daughter was right. She felt like her life was spinning out of control, and has been doing so for the past three months. She had stopped getting her drugs in town and was traveling further and further out of town to “pick up.” She felt shame and fear rise up in her as she thought of what her friends (those who are left) would think. What would the children’s father, Jim, say? Would he try to take custody of Amelia and little Jake, and declare her an unfit mother? The irony is that he had introduced her to marijuana but had been able to quit using drugs. She had never been able to regain control since that first high.

“You need help, Mom. Please get some help! Call Peniel!” Amelia’s voice was soft but pleading.

Lisa slowly nodded. After all, what did she have to lose? Drugs had robbed her of her husband, finances, her daughter’s respect and her own self-respect. She almost lost her life two days ago on Parker Street when a dealer put a gun to her head. Maybe she needed to call this Peniel before she lost her life.

With one shaking hand, she picked up the pamphlet and with the other, she reached for the telephone.