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El Niño Sin Nombre

El Niño Sin Nombre

La lucha de un niño por sobrevivir
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This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."

Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.

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    5 de marzo de 1973, Daly City, California. Estoy retrasado. Tengo que acabar de fregar los platos a tiempo, si no, no hay desayuno; y como anoche no cené, he de comer algo. Mamá corre por la casa chillando a mis hermanos. Oigo sus pasos pesados por el pasillo dirigiéndose hacia la cocina. Vuelvo a meter las manos en el agua hirviendo de enjuagar. Demasiado tarde. Me coge con las manos fuera del agua.

    ¡PLAF! Mamá me pega en la cara y me tiro al suelo. Sé que no debo quedarme de pie y aguantar el golpe. He aprendido, a base de cometer errores, que lo considera un desafío, lo que significa más golpes o, peor aún, quedarme sin comer. Recupero mi postura anterior y evito su mirada mientras me grita al oído.

    Actúo con timidez, asintiendo a sus amenazas. 'Por favor, —me digo—, déjame comer. Vuelve a pegarme, pero tengo que comer.' Otra bofetada hace que me golpee la cabeza contra el mostrador de azulejos. Lágrimas de falsa derrota me corren por las mejillas mientras sale de manera precipitada de la cocina aparentemente satisfecha consigo misma. Después de contar sus pasos para asegurarme de que se ha ido, dejo escapar un suspiro de alivio. Mi actuación ha dado resultado. Mamá puede pegarme todo lo que quiera, pero no he dejado que me arrebate mi voluntad de sobrevivir.
    Acabo de fregar los platos y, después, hago el resto de mis tareas domésticas. Como recompensa, recibo el desayuno: las sobras de un tazón de cereales de uno de mis hermanos. Hoy son Lucky Charms. Sólo quedan unos trocitos de cereales en medio tazón de leche, pero los engullo lo más de prisa posible, antes de que mamá cambie de opinión. Ya lo ha hecho otras veces. Le gusta usar la comida como arma. Sabe que no debe tirar las sobras al cubo de la basura. Sabe que después las cojo. Mamá se sabe la mayoría de mis trucos.

    Unos minutos más tarde estoy en la vieja ranchera de la familia. Como voy tan retrasado con las tareas domésticas, me tienen que llevar en carro al colegio. Normalmente suelo ir corriendo y llego justo cuando comienza la clase, sin tiempo para robar comida de las fiambreras de otros niños. Mamá deja salir a mi hermano mayor, pero a mí me retiene para sermonearme sobre lo que piensa hacer conmigo mañana. Va a llevarme a casa de su hermano. Dice que el tío Dan 'se ocupará de mí'. Lo dice de manera amenazadora. La miro asustado, como si de verdad tuviera miedo. Pero sé que, aunque mi tío es un hombre duro, no me tratará como lo hace mamá.

    Antes de que la ranchera se pare del todo, salgo corriendo. Mamá me grita para que vuelva. He olvidado mi fiambrera abollada que, en los tres últimos años, siempre ha tenido el mismo menú: dos emparedados de mantequilla de maní y unos bastoncillos de zanahoria. Antes de que vuelva a salir disparado del carro, me dice:
    —Diles . . . Diles que has tropezado con la puerta.
    Después, con una voz que rara vez emplea conmigo, me vuelve a decir:
    —Que pases un buen día.

    Le miro los ojos rojos e hinchados. Todavía le dura la resaca de la borrachera de anoche. Su pelo, en otro tiempo hermoso y brillante, le cae ahora en mechones consumidos. Como de costumbre, no lleva maquillaje. Está gorda y lo sabe. En general, éste se ha vuelto el aspecto típico de mamá.
    Como llego tan tarde, tengo que presentarme en la oficina de la administración. La secretaria de pelo gris me saluda con una sonrisa. Unos instantes después sale la enfermera de la escuela y me conduce a su despacho, donde llevamos a cabo la rutina habitual. Primero, me examina la cara y los brazos.

    —¿Qué es eso que tienes encima del ojo? —me pregunta.
    Asiento dócilmente:
    —He tropezado con la puerta del vestíbulo . . ....

About the Author-
  • Dave Pelzer travels throughout the nation promoting inspiration and resilience. His unique accomplishments have garnered personal commendations from Presidents Reagan and Bush. In 1993 Pelzer was chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans (TOYA), and in 1994 was the only American to receive The Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) award. He was also a torchbearer for the Centennial Olympic Games.
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    Health Communications, Inc.
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  • Copyright Protection (DRM) required by the Publisher may be applied to this title to limit or prohibit printing or copying. File sharing or redistribution is prohibited. Your rights to access this material expire at the end of the lending period. Please see Important Notice about Copyrighted Materials for terms applicable to this content.

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El Niño Sin Nombre
La lucha de un niño por sobrevivir
Dave Pelzer
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