Many of my stories are based on real people and real events. Sometimes I’ve embellished and sometimes I’ve embellished a great deal. Every now and then I have someone ask about a particular character in my stories.
No one has elicited more questions than Elsa (from Maja’s Mom). I never met the real-life Maja. It’s an as-told-by story that I chose to write in the first person. I’ve asked some of the same questions. My friend tells me that Maja is a wonderful person and an amazing mom. He also said her ex husband was abusive and he’s either still in prison or on parole and we don’t know which. Elsa sold her home and cut ties with everyone she knew in the Charleston area. We’re speculating that it is a fear-based issue. People (women, in most cases) who have suffered from physical abuse and survived, don’t always do what you or I would consider rationale. Instead, they are operating in survival mode. In this case, that fear is likely compounded by her concern for her daughter. Recently, my friend found her with the help of a private investigator. They’ve been in contact and he is balancing respecting her privacy and pursuing a relationship. I’ve asked him about it – if it was worth it. He assures me it is. I haven’t pushed him for any more than that.
Perhaps, one day, I'll have the opportunity to write a happy sequel.