Through The Eyes of a Child...

The Sereika Children

Jurgita, the oldest
Tomas and Kazys
Linute and her siblings
The First Two Brothers
Little Antanas
The Younger Jurgita
The Twins
The Second Set of Brothers
Antanas
Marius and Sonata
Petras

Jurgita, the oldest   (back to the top)

The oldest Sereika child is Jurgita, who is in her final year of high school. She hopes to enroll in the Police Academy.

Jurgita was being raised by her grandmother, when she was raped by a married man. Her teacher brought her to the Sereika house hoping a normal life would dispel her nightmares and return her confidence.

Tomas and Kazys   (back to the top)

Four year-old Tomas and 2 year-old Kazys were brothers who were brought to the home by the authorities. They had no father and their mother was in jail. When she was released, she came to claim her children. If she took them back, she would be entitled to help from the government.

Kazys refused to go; he remembered what life was like before he came to the Sereikas. Tomas accompanied his mother home. Within a few weeks, the authorities were at the door with Tomas. His mother had neglected him; he had to be deloused and woke up screaming with nightmares.

Lina holds little Jurgita. Photo: Valstieciu Laikrastis

Linute and her siblings   (back to the top)

Then there are Linute and her siblings. They have the same alcoholic mother but three different fathers. The mother's latest boyfriend also had a drinking problem. Linute, the oldest, was often chained. The children were made to sit on the couch while the boyfriend threw knives at their bare feet.

One night, when it became unbearable, Linute shoved her siblings out the window. They dared not open the door in case someone woke up; the punishment would be severe. It was a bitter cold night but, Linute led her sister by the hand while she carried the youngest one in her arms to the safety of the Sereika's house. She banged on the door and, begged Aldona and Stasys to take them into their home. She didn't need to beg. They were welcomed with open arms. Linute is traumatized and suffers from depression from which she is slowly recovering.

The First Two Brothers   (back to the top)

These two brothers seemed to have come from a good family at first. Their parents worked hard but alcohol began to take over their lives. The brothers were sent to sit and watch the cemetery. They would watch people light candles on the graves and wait for them to leave. Then they would run up to the graves and steal the candles. The parents sold the candles for drinking money. Eventually the children were caught stealing and, when the story came out, they were removed from their home.

Little Antanas   (back to the top)

This little boy also needed to be placed in the home but, there was no birth certificate for him. Valstieciu Laikraštis put a journalist on the case full time. She checked every village and city until she found the certificate and the mother. When she asked the mother's permission to place Antanas with the Sereikas, the mother's response was, "Don't just take him, take all my kids."

The Younger Jurgita   (back to the top)

Three year-old Jurgita was in the hospital during my visit. They gave me her photograph: she had a face of an angel. She was also abandoned at birth. At the age of 15 months, she had not learned to stand. When Aldona brought her home, the doctors told her not to waste her time. She would never stand, let alone walk.

Aldona had a mother's heart and a mother's determination. Several times a day, she worked with Jurgita giving her leg massages, encouragement and lots of love. Before long, Jurgita was able to stand and, later, took those first precious steps. Jurgita was in a clinic where she is carefully monitored for tuberculosis. So far, so good - no signs of the disease.

The Twins   (back to the top)

The twins' parents also had led the good life under the Soviet system. Their father, a fisherman, had visited foreign ports and returned with coveted goods. Their mother was a teacher. Again, alcoholism reared its ugly head and destroyed another family. The mother began to drink more and more, the father stayed away longer and longer. Eventually he abandoned the family altogether.

To make ends meet, the mother brought home a variety of men, while the children witnessed the events. When some of the men became abusive, the twins were placed with the Sereikas.

The mother insisted on phoning the children day and night. When she visited, she made her daughter listen to all the intimate details of her life against the child's wishes. When the Sereikas could no longer reason with the woman, they obtained a court order stating that the mother could only visit in the Sereikas' presence.

The Second Set of Brothers   (back to the top)

These two brothers were abandoned in the hospital by their mother. When the mother realized she could collect money from the state for them, she returned to reclaim them. Yet over and over she would leave them in stores, on the streets, and anywhere else she could get rid of them. Eventually the authorities removed them from her custody.

Photo: Jeanne Dorr

Antanas   (back to the top)

Antanas was a real sweetheart. He was three years old. Aldona told me how his grandparents brought him to her when he was a year old. His grandparents cried and cried. They were quite elderly and sickly, and could not physically care for him.

Can you, readers who are grandparents, imagine yourselves ever having to go through this heart-wrenching scene with your own grandchild?

Sonata and her daugther

Marius and Sonata   (back to the top)

When Marius arrived at the Sereikas, he was a seven year-old, full-time smoker. He is now 14, no longer smokes, but has lung problems and spends time in the hospital.

Marius's parents were alcoholics with a loving sister, Sonata. When Sonata visited Marius and saw this improvement, she also began to long for a normal life. Once again the family opened its arms and invited her to stay with them.

Sonata eventually married and now she, her husband, and baby daughter live with Aldona and Stasys. Their help is very much needed with the children and house. Because of Sonata and her husband, the Sereikas are proud grandparents.

Petras   (back to the top)

Finally, I would like to tell you about five year-old Petras. His mother was dead, his father and he were homeless. They walked the streets during the day, and the father took any odd jobs he could in exchange for food. The worst part came at night. There was no bed or roof over their heads.

In desperation, the father walked into the Valstieciu Laikraštis offices and asked for help for his son. He loved his child dearly but, there was no way he could provide a home for him. The father had no skills and unemployment was high.

The Svobas were concerned that this five year-old might not get into the car with them to go to Raseiniai. Would he be hysterical with fear? Would he scream for his father? The bottom line was that he needed a home, and Aldona and Stasys were waiting for him.

For the entire trip, Petras stared out the window. Eventually he murmured just one sentence, "I guess I'll never return home again." Imagine what this little boy had lived through by the age of five. Although home was not a house, it was his father and a village.

Regina was close to tears when she left him with Aldona. She returned to Vilnius, and could not eat or sleep with worry. Five days later, she went back to Raseiniai to see how Petras was adjusting. When he saw the car, he ran away and hid. He was terrified that she had come to take him away from his new family.

Later Regina asked him if he would like to visit with his father. They drove the father to visit his son, but it seemed there was little to say to each other. Still later, Petras was asked if he would like to go back to his village. His response was, "If it's only to look."