Josephine's Story by Manon GRANDPAUL

My name is Josephine. I was born on a farm in1938. I grew up during the Second World War. Every bombing terrified me. I had to jump and to hide in the barn.

I’m going to tell you a difficult time in my life. I met my husband in 1958 and we got married in 1961. I was a teacher at a primary school. We had four children; two girls and two boys. We lived in a big house with a few horses, one for every kid. We  had  rabbits, dogs, cats and a lot of land to make extra money beside our official jobs. Every day, every evening, we spent our time working.

On the 22nd December 1996, my first son called me. He lived 100km away from me with his girlfriend. I was scared. I immediately thought of an accident. Even worse, he told me to get in my car and he hung up. I ran to my car and I found a letter on the seat of the car. Just one sentence “I don't love you anymore, I quit you.” All my children supported me through these difficult times. I cried for days and nights. As I was already retired, I didn’t have much to do and I spent  my time crying. I was bored. Many times, I would walk beside the railway and I often hoped that someone would push me. After three years, my children and myself took the decision to sell our house. We lost everything. My husband and I divorced on the 9th July 1999, on my daughter's birthday. I moved in with a new man, Yves. I knew him since long time. I don't know if I really liked him but I couldn’t stay by myself. A short time after my change of life, happiness came back into my life. I was still seeing my children while my ex-husband. But I never really forgot him. I was still in love with him and I was missing the old times when we were together. Then him and I started to see each other again, and as we were getting along pretty well again, I . For a year, we were seeing each other in secret. After, Yves and I broke up so I could return with my first husband. I now live in his new house which is a bit far away. But ten years after our divorce, on the 9 July 2009, for a second time, we got married!!!!