Below I have written down the news I received about my children Jim and Laurinda who live with their mother in New Zealand.
As of February the 11th, 2005 I have a bit more contact with my children by email.
Today I got my first email from Jim, my son. It had a also picture attached, drawn by Jim.
Today Esme's mother brought me a package from New Zealand! It contained artwork made by Laurinda, 2 photos, a nice t-shirt, a birthday card Jim made with a small note in a pocket which has on both sides written "I miss you", a card with R2D2 on it with the message:
Hollo dad i missing you i will visit you one Day.
form Jim
This really made my day. My birthday is the 15th and I was so afraid.
I sent Christmas cards to my children. I heard that my ex has sent me photos but haven't seen anything yet. Sometimes things get lost in the mail, and sometimes it takes a long, long, time, so I don't worry too much.
My mother and brother received cards from my ex with pictures of my children. For me: nothing.
I got several drawings and a few photos of my children, finally.
My mother has talked with the contact person of my ex. It seems that Jim was afraid that his drawing would make me cry and hence he didn't want to make one. After some explanations of my ex he wants to make several drawings for some people. I have new hope now. I hope to be able to write a letter to my kids tomorrow.
now I'm lost it's been said long time ago you'll be the first and last to know you'll never know The Mars Volta - Inertiatic ESP
Still no drawing. I know that sending something from New Zealand to the Netherlands can take 10 days or sometimes even more. I am quite desperate and lost every hope to hear anything at all.
After several emails I wrote another desperate one to someone who passes each message on to my ex. And finally I got a response. I asked my ex several times to write something, however small, about how the children are doing. She must have taken that very literaly:
The children are doing fine.
Also, finally, my begging for a drawing or something personal has been heard, it seems:
I will ask them to make a drawing for you. If it is finished I will send it.
In the evening, about 10 o'clock, my ex called and let me talk to my children for a short while. I became extremely emotional and had a very hard time talking. Jim talked a little and then my daughter said "Hello, daddy, hello, hello daddy". And then my ex came back on the phone. She told me that Jim had skipped one year in school. I cried and cried and told her I really couldn't handle unexpected phone calls anymore.
I was extremely upset and went to my brother and his wife for support.