The Dealth By Judgement
This is a compelling story. One that has sat in my head for years. As a waitress for years in my youth, I met many interesting people with interesting stories about their lives. One such man, whom I will call Albert had a tragic life, regretfully not by fault of his own. He would only give me bits and pieces of his story and from that I recreated this version which I believe to be not far from the truth.
Remember judgement can be tragic.
Albert grow up on poor farm in northern Alberta. Raised with a large family in the 40's,life was hard. Much work to be done just to survive through the cruel northern seasons. Albert attended the local church where he met his soon to be wife Ann. Her family were well to do in the community as they ran the general store and had well established themselves.
After Albert and Ann married they bought a piece of property within a few miles of her family. Ann was very close to her parents and two younger sisters and spent much of her free time helping them with the family business. Albert worked hard to build them a life, ploughing the fields, clearing land, and building a modest, but cozy home.
Although very much in love, Albert did have an odd way about him. The hard work, and stuggle to survive sometimes led him into deep depressive lows where he would sit on the porch staring out into the wilderness for hours. Rocking, and staring. Lost in his stuggles to attain a better life for him and Ann.
Some evenings Ann would find him rocking, looking out into space for hours. This disturbed her and this festered inside her like a thorn.
Ann would than run off to her parents home and rant and rave about Albert's oddness. She would complain endlessly to them how she thought his mind was mentally unsound, and how she lacked confidence in his ability to be a good husband.
Years passed and Albert found Ann increasingly demanding, troubled he would rock himself on the porch, and she again would run off to her family. This time she carried with her their new born child. Albert cherished they're new baby girl and would often rock her to sleep, just him and her in the fresh evening air. His daughter seemed to give him that reassurance he so hoped to find in Ann.
One evening after dinner, Ann unnerved ran once again off to her family leaving the baby in Albert's care. He rocked her gently to sleep, kissed her forehead and put her down for the night. That evening he returned to the porch to rock away the worries of the day.
An hour passed and he went in to check on their baby. She was cold and blue. Albert tried to revive her. He screamed in pain and sorrow as he was unable to and then he covered her with a blanket and ran to get Ann.
When he arrived at Ann's family home he rushed in like a frantic animal, sobbing in fear and grief at the limp child in his arms. Immediately Ann was screaming at him, her family screaming at him,"You killed her, you killed her, you crazy man."
"Ann told us how crazy you were, she never trusted you, we should have known there was something wrong with you."
Albert curled up on the floor sobbing in pain and grief. He was still there when Ann and her family got the police to come get him. Yes, he was blamed. We know about SIDS today as little was known then. Though I believe she has already persecuted him long before the loss of their child.
Albert was put away, Ann and her family had the community also convinced of his guilt. He received shock therapy while he was put away. Something that still horrified him to talk about.
Albert drank tomato juice everyday in my resturant, he would show me card tricks, and his coin collection. He spoke softly and his eyes would shine with gentle grace. I knew him, and I knew his pain.
His story is a tragic reminder of judgement and just how terribly far it can go.
Albert has since passed on, and I remember how my heart tugged when I heard of his passing as I sat on the porch and rocked.
This is a compelling story. One that has sat in my head for years. As a waitress for years in my youth, I met many interesting people with interesting stories about their lives. One such man, whom I will call Albert had a tragic life, regretfully not by fault of his own. He would only give me bits and pieces of his story and from that I recreated this version which I believe to be not far from the truth.
Remember judgement can be tragic.
Albert grow up on poor farm in northern Alberta. Raised with a large family in the 40's,life was hard. Much work to be done just to survive through the cruel northern seasons. Albert attended the local church where he met his soon to be wife Ann. Her family were well to do in the community as they ran the general store and had well established themselves.
After Albert and Ann married they bought a piece of property within a few miles of her family. Ann was very close to her parents and two younger sisters and spent much of her free time helping them with the family business. Albert worked hard to build them a life, ploughing the fields, clearing land, and building a modest, but cozy home.
Although very much in love, Albert did have an odd way about him. The hard work, and stuggle to survive sometimes led him into deep depressive lows where he would sit on the porch staring out into the wilderness for hours. Rocking, and staring. Lost in his stuggles to attain a better life for him and Ann.
Some evenings Ann would find him rocking, looking out into space for hours. This disturbed her and this festered inside her like a thorn.
Ann would than run off to her parents home and rant and rave about Albert's oddness. She would complain endlessly to them how she thought his mind was mentally unsound, and how she lacked confidence in his ability to be a good husband.
Years passed and Albert found Ann increasingly demanding, troubled he would rock himself on the porch, and she again would run off to her family. This time she carried with her their new born child. Albert cherished they're new baby girl and would often rock her to sleep, just him and her in the fresh evening air. His daughter seemed to give him that reassurance he so hoped to find in Ann.
One evening after dinner, Ann unnerved ran once again off to her family leaving the baby in Albert's care. He rocked her gently to sleep, kissed her forehead and put her down for the night. That evening he returned to the porch to rock away the worries of the day.
An hour passed and he went in to check on their baby. She was cold and blue. Albert tried to revive her. He screamed in pain and sorrow as he was unable to and then he covered her with a blanket and ran to get Ann.
When he arrived at Ann's family home he rushed in like a frantic animal, sobbing in fear and grief at the limp child in his arms. Immediately Ann was screaming at him, her family screaming at him,"You killed her, you killed her, you crazy man."
"Ann told us how crazy you were, she never trusted you, we should have known there was something wrong with you."
Albert curled up on the floor sobbing in pain and grief. He was still there when Ann and her family got the police to come get him. Yes, he was blamed. We know about SIDS today as little was known then. Though I believe she has already persecuted him long before the loss of their child.
Albert was put away, Ann and her family had the community also convinced of his guilt. He received shock therapy while he was put away. Something that still horrified him to talk about.
Albert drank tomato juice everyday in my resturant, he would show me card tricks, and his coin collection. He spoke softly and his eyes would shine with gentle grace. I knew him, and I knew his pain.
His story is a tragic reminder of judgement and just how terribly far it can go.
Albert has since passed on, and I remember how my heart tugged when I heard of his passing as I sat on the porch and rocked.
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