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A Present from Prison
When Piri was four years old, he received an Angel Tree® gift from his father in prison. This was the first contact Piri had ever had with his father.
It was his first little kick that changed her mind. Already a single mother with few resources, Monoa had determined that she just couldn‘t afford another baby, so she‘d made an appointment at an abortion clinic. But just as she was preparing to leave for the clinic she felt the baby kick. She cancelled the appointment. When the baby was born she named him Piri. But without any assistance from Piri‘s father, Monoa struggled to raise her two small boys on her own. Fortunately, her other son‘s father did visit on weekends to see his boy, but in time this became painful for Piri. “I want a dad,”he would plead to his mother, “can you get married so I can have a dad, too?” But Piri‘s father, Simon, wanted nothing to do with Monoa or their young son, so the two had never even met. Ironically, it was Simon‘s recent prison sentence that would change all that. When Piri was four years old, Monoa received a call from PF New Zealand Angel Tree® volunteers. Simon had signed the boy up to receive an Angel Tree® Christmas gift. Monoa was shocked, “I had never heard of Angel Tree® before,” she says. She thought of telling Piri the gift was simply from Santa, but the note inside revealed it was from his father in prison. This was the first contact Piri had ever had with his father, and Monoa could see the excitement on his face.
A short time later, Monoa heard from Piri‘s father. He had become a Christian in prison and now wanted to begin a relationship with his son. Reluctant at first, Monoa agreed, knowing how much Piri had longed for a father. But she warned Simon, “you had better be consistent or don‘t even bother.” On his fifth birthday, Piri met his father for the first time. Almost overnight Piri‘s demeanour began to be more positive, Monoa reports. “He‘s like a new kid!”she exclaims. Simon has been out of prison now for nearly two years and he‘s been taking Piri out every other weekend - to the gym, to baseball games, to play outdoors. “I think prison made him realize how precious life really was,” reflects Monoa, “he is even paying child support!” Much like his first little kick, Piri‘s youthful pleas for a father were heard. This was a Christmas he will never forget.
