My mother gave me up to the Catholic orphanage
When I was too young to remember
I wanted to see her, to know her
I wanted to know about my family
The only story I knew was of my uncle
He had moved to South America after the war

Finally, when I was 14 years old
I was allowed to visit my mother for a weekend
On the first day she locked me out of the house
I spent the whole night on the street
When I came to the orphanage and told the priest
Who took me by the hand
And led me back to my mother’s home
There was my mother with her arms open
Crying real tears
She told the priest I had run away
When the priest left, she beat me
When I returned to the orphanage
I told the priest my mother had beaten me
He beat me for telling a lie