TOM RIDDLE SENIOR
"Stay for them; if not for me, Tom, stay for our child."
He hadn't believed that wretched woman-- could not believe her after she had lied to him-- deceived him-- violated him in ways he hadn't thought possible-- robbed him of his own free will, belittled him in front of the villagers-- humiliated him in the eyes of his parents. And so much more, it can't be simply put into words.
Tom could still remember the day with perfect clarity:
In March 1926, Merope learned that she was pregnant and decided to stop administering love potion in his tea. That was the first time she did not dose Tom's tea with it. By nightfall, he was back to his senses. Tom was utterly confused, scared, and suspicious of the strange woman standing in front of him. She was calling him love and hissing some non-sense.
When Merope came closer, she stepped into the space illuminated by the oil lamp. Tom saw for the first time that she was the Tramp's daughter with eyes that were staring in opposite directions, body so malnourished and deformed she hardly looked human. Her stunted growth gave her the vibe of a dwarf.
She was saying something or accurately hissing something. But he could not hear her-- could not focus-- for he was trapped in his memories. All the memories were rushing back to him. They were all blurry.
Memories of him and that thing getting married in the village Church--eloping together--she kissing him after he was forced to declare his non-existent love for her--she violating him while hissing in pleasure--she raping him every night while making him do things he would never even dream of doing in his wildest dreams--feeding him and never forgetting his tea and on the off chance that he resists, she force-fed him and then violated him again and again--wait.. tea? It all started with the water that he accepted from the she-tramp on that summer afternoon. How was he supposed to know one act of politeness would cost him his dignity, his virtue, his will?
He did the one thing he could do at that moment. He escaped. He escaped from his kidnapper, his rapist, his tormentor. All the while Merope was shouting, begging for him to stay if not for her then for their child.
Honestly, the vile woman thought that he would believe her. Why would he believe her? what if the child is just another trick to lure him, to capture him in her filthy web-- never again to give him his free will-- never to let him take actions on his own-- no, he needs to escape her and escape her, he will.
He wandered down the London street aimlessly for three-four days without really seeing his location, without really being conscious of his surroundings, ducking and cringing away from women he came across. One day someone recognized him and drove him to his parents at Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton.
Nobody could have guessed the mental trauma he was about to suffer.........
It's been almost three years now...
Almost three years ago, Thomas Riddle and Mary Riddle found Tom turned up on the doorstep of Riddle Manor, a bewildered look on his face. He seemed terrified of his own shadow. They didn't know what to make of the situation.
On one hand, Tom had humiliated them, disrespected them, brought shame to the Riddle name, and disappeared without a word to his parents. But on the other hand, he was their only son-- their only child whom they have brought up together-- their child for whom they had spent many sleepless nights to cater to his needs-- even when Thomas and Mary were angry with their son, they were worried for him and prayed every day for him to come back to his senses. So, now, when their son looks like a terrified soul who had never seen anything good, they didn't know what to blame him for.
They hired the best psychologists from all over Britain. The library in Riddle Manor was bustling with psychology, meditation, and dealing with trauma books. Thomas and Mary braced themselves for the intensive caring their son would need. Thomas would be seen reading psychology books in his office late in the evenings while Mary would be seen reading books on meditation and how to overcome trauma while knitting a scarf for Tom.
Nothing could have prepared them for what was to come.
Tom refused to come out of his bedroom. He didn't tolerate the presence of female staff. He was terrified of them, the only exception was his mother. Thomas and Mary rearranged the working staff so, that only the male staff would be serving him. The first few days, he refused to take a single bite from his food and a sip from his drinks.
Mary Riddle would test the food and drinks of his son in front of him to feed him. Although Tom would pour his drinks himself, he refused any other person to pour drinks for him. Thus began a suspicious process of ingesting food for Tom.
It broke Mary's heart whenever Tom would start screaming whenever he saw a teacup. He never drank tea anymore. At night he would wake up screaming due to his nightmares. His whole body would shake and tremble with the powerful lingering effects of his traumatic experience. He refused to fall back asleep. He was trapped-- trapped in the memories of his past.
Sometimes he wonders if he will ever be able to move on. He wonders what his life would have been, had he never met that she-tramp.
Thomas Riddle and Mary Riddle were heartbroken. How can they not be?-- their only son was traumatized beyond belief. How?--They didn't know. They didn't understand. They only understood that it was not their son anymore, it was the traumatized shadow of his past.
Now all they could do was hope. They hope that one day their son would be back to them.
Meanwhile, the young Riddle woke up screaming due to another nightmarish memory of his past......................