Zita Flores, her story was one of the more unfortunate episodes we brought you this year on 7NEWS. The mother of 4 was left homeless in June when the family court banned her from entering her home after a land dispute with her ex-common law husband. Things would only get worse for Zita as she was later jailed overnight for allegedly breaking that restraining order. She finally she ended up living in a shack down the street from her first house which was the only way she could share a roof with her children, the youngest only 4 years old. Zita prayed for a miracle but none came. But what she did get was a court judgment, which changed her fortunes. It's been 5 months since we last saw her and_ Keith Swift_ revisited Zita and her family today for an update.
Keith Swift Reporting,
What a difference time can make, in June we met a destitute Zita Flores and her two young children in the middle of Police Street. The family court threw them out of the house they called home and to be with her children she was forced to live in this barely accessible makeshift shack in a neighbor's yard. That image on Police Street in June was in sharp contrast to what we saw on Police Street today when we visited Zita at her home painting and preparing for Christmas with her family.
Zita Flores,
"I feel happy because I am back and I am looking forward to Christmas now with my kids because they are all happy that we come back home."
And home for Zita and her family is the same house on Police Street that she was banned from by the police and family court at the insistence of her ex-common law husband. She however prevailed in court and three weeks ago she got the green light to return home.
Zita Flores,
"From August they kept adjourning the case so on the 12th of October, I won the case thanks to my lawyer Melissa Balderamos. Thanks to her because she was there for me. When they told him that I could come back to the house, he didn't want but then the magistrate told him that I have right with my kids to come back home. I took long to come in back but what happened is the house wasn't that ready for me to come back in because the verandah wasn't good and it wasn't safe for the kids to come back. Since I saw that he didn't want to fix it, I came and I did it and that's it there for my kids now."
But even with the verandah fixed, a house is not a home and so Zita changed that and sacrificed to furnish her house.
Zita Flores,
"I'm painting and I'm looking forward to the Christmas."
Keith Swift,
I see a new refrigerator and I hope I'm not talking out your business but I see a new washing machine and stove too.
Zita Flores,
"Well everybody can see it. I am a woman and that's my sacrifice. I just bought those two weeks ago and that's my stove I just brought it in Friday. And everything is going fine."
Keith Swift,
What if anything did you learn from this whole ordeal?
Zita Flores,
"My advice to any woman out there is to be independent, there is nothing like your own. Always stand on your own feet and don't depend on anybody. Now I am an independent woman and I'm glad. I'm proud that I'm one."
Happy days finally for Zita Flores, a woman who has seen her share of sad ones.
