Timeline of a Crisis

25-Dec-2015,

• 03:00AM. Miss Dragon (18, lesbian fragment) started texting me. Apparently: she found her girlfriend sleeping with someone else; she had assaulted her; she couldn’t stop raging; and that she needed to go to hospital.
• 07:00AM, Miki (31, currently Host, ANP) arrived home Christmas morning.
• 10:00AM, Erin (16, Protector) left home, saying she was taking the system to Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) for treatment. I wished her well but was disappointed that she didn’t stay to unwrap the family gifts. I’d bought all the Littles and Teen Alters gifts this year, and I was looking forward to giving them each one.
• 15:30PM, I checked up on her via text. 7’teen (17, emotional fragment) present, said that Erin had gone to the hospital but that she, 7’teen had become scared and pulled them out.
• She did not tell me where she was.
• She remained absent for the duration of the weekend but would text me regularly telling me each time that she was ‘almost home’.

28-Dec-2015,

• 14:00PM, I noticed my bank debit card was missing. I checked up on Miki via text. She said she was in a ‘newly developed rehab centre’, resting, and that the card was paying for ‘treatment’.
• I asked for the name, address and number of the place. She would not provide it. I cancelled my card.
• Erin texted me: “Good.”
• Kiska (14, Schizophrenic) texted me: “I’m scared Daddy. They’re doing bad things here”.

29-Dec-2015,

• 09:00AM, I checked with my bank: R8400 in unauthorized ATM withdrawals and swipes on the card before I cancelled it. Don’t do the exchange rate thing – it’s a lot of money locally.
• Miki refused to answer my texts or calls.

30-Dec-2015,

• 08:00AM, I filed a Missing Adult Alert (SAPS 55 (A)) with South African Police Service (SAPS) Cape Town Central.
• 14:00PM, it reaches 38 degrees Celsius in the city. The boys and I are suffering in the heat.
• 15:00PM, Mirrischka (7 – 31, age-slider, abuser) begs me via text that she is in trouble and that she needs more money sent to her – via mobile phone – and then she’ll be home.
• I adamantly and repeatedly refused, indicating that I will not be extorted by her or anyone else.
• 16:00PM, Tooshie8 (8, Little) calls me from Miki’s mobile. “They won’t let me leave. I don’t know where I am. Please help me.” She sounded scared and confused.
• I told her to walk to the nearest police station if she could.

31-Dec-2015,

• 00:10AM, the Cape Malay Choir festival kicked off with brass bands marching outside our apartment building. They marched until 04:00AM. I got very little sleep that night.
• 08:00AM, I attempted to add an affidavit to my SAPS 55 (A) recounting the previous afternoon’s phone call, and the apparent ransom demand. Unfortunately, the investigating officer had not filed the report and no-one else could assist me.
• 13:00PM, report still unfiled at SAPS.
• 13:30PM, I emailed the Pink Ladies, a nationwide NPO organisation that assists SAPS with missing persons. They responded promptly and I filed the necessary report and provided them with permission to circulate the report throughout the Western Cape.
• 19:00PM, report still unfiled at SAPS. I was told the investigating officer would be on duty at 22:00PM that evening and that he would call me.
• 21:45PM, Miki texted me. She said a friend had paid the ransom and that she could now leave.
• 21:50PM, Shafieq (15, Protector, Male) presented via texts. He said he was in trouble, and that gang members had threatened to kill Miki. He was terrified.
• 22:00PM, SAPS investigating officer did not contact me.
• 22:30PM, R (r/l son), woke up projectile vomiting over himself. I gave him a shower.
• 23:00PM, Shafieq texted me again. He couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t help Miki.
• 23:45PM, text from Miki: “I’m done. Tell the kids I love them.”

01-Jan-2016

• 00:00 Happy New Year! Miki and I usually see in the New Year with a bottle of non-alchoholic champagne. We sit by the apartment windows and watch all the people on the street below. It’s quite romantic – for me. This year, the champagne sat in the fridge, chilled, but un-opened.
• 03:30AM, the Pink Ladies emailed me confirmation that the report was being circulated to police stations, hospitals, clinics, etc.
• 13:50PM, text from Miki: “I’m so sorry. I really messed things up.”
• 14:00PM, text from Miki: “Please call me.”
• 14:00PM, I called Miki. She answered. She said she was feeling very sorry, very sad and very ashamed of herself but she couldn’t understand why I’d gone to the authorities. She said she knew where she was, which made her NOT a missing persons. I tried to explain that: she was vulnerable; that she had been taken advantage of; and that she had been threatened and extorted over the course of the last 6 days. She couldn’t recall everything that had happened, but she really didn’t think it was all ‘that serious’.
• 14:10PM, Miki said she might be home later – she did not sound very convincing. I sensed that Mirrischka was present again.
• She did not tell me where she was. I told her that until she was physically back at the family home, or had given me confirmation of where she was, I still considered her a missing persons, and I would let the authorities continue with their investigation.

Mirrischka is the latest Alter to present. She is intent on destroying the system, and everything along with it. Christmas is historically a very bad date for some of the Alters. I’m finding it incredibly challenging to balance her needs (compassionate healing) with the rest of the Alters’ needs, and our family’s needs. I was hoping the other Alters would help, but they’re terrified of her, and completely powerless to override her.

When I refused to pay the final ransom, she contacted another friend who paid the ransom and she was allowed to leave. She spent the last night wandering the streets and arrived home, on foot, in someone else’s clothing. Miki (31y/o, Host) had no idea what had happened to her: where she’d been, or how she’d gotten home. The events were reconstructed from the memories of Shafieq, Kiska, Erin, and one or two other Alters.