Mid Life Love Read Online Free PDF

not
thinking about the past today...

Chapter
2.5
    J onathan
    Summer 2002
    It was raining.
Hard.
    Streaks of
lightning were dancing across the sky, and rain bullets were beating across my
window pane.
    As I looked
outside, I saw the reflections of my miserable life in the downpour: Both my
parents were denied an early release from prison, my little sister had been
sent to live with yet another foster family, and my own terrible excuse for a
foster family was trying their hardest to convince me to stay in state for
college; they knew that if I stayed, they would get a bonus check from the
Children’s Welfare Office for successfully raising a child who remained in
state for college.
    I knew that my
life was bound to be terrible if I spent any more time in the hell hole that
was Ohio, so that night I made a plan to get out.
    I told my foster
parents that I’d decided to go to the University of Dayton, and that right
after my graduation ceremony, I wanted to go to a nice restaurant and
celebrate. The greedy look in their eyes almost made me hurl on the spot, but I
kept playing the part.
    I smiled and
told them I was grateful for all they’d done for me over the years. I just left
out the part about them hijacking my parents’ prison letters, taking me clothes
shopping at Goodwill while their biological kids were allowed to shop at real
stores, and reminding me day in and day out that I would “end up just like [my]
parents one day—a cracked out meth-head who deserved to rot behind bars.”
    When the day of
my graduation came, I set my well thought out plan in motion: I stuffed my best
pants and shirts into a backpack, five hundred dollars I’d made from secretly
doing college kids’ computer science homework, and a few essentials for a life
on the run.
    “What’s that
backpack for?” My foster-mother Luanne walked into my room.
    “It’s my outfit
I’m going to wear after the ceremony. I want to dress more casual at dinner.”
    “Oh! Of course!
No one wants to get their fancy suit dirty at dinner.” She adjusted my tie.
“It’s too bad you weren’t born into this family. We could’ve bought you
a better suit, but you know how it is. The state only gives us enough money to
feed you, not clothe you.”
    I tried not to
flinch as she ran a lint-brush against my shoulders.
    “Your high
school graduation is going to be the highlight of your life.” She sighed. “You
probably won’t last that long in college, but don’t worry, neither me nor Bob
expect you to.”
    “Thank you very
much...”
    “I still can’t
imagine what it must have been like to have meth-dealers as parents. It must
have been awful ! I think about it every day and I feel so bad for you.”
She stepped back to look at me. “But then I say to myself: Luanne, thank god you saved that boy, even if it is only temporary and he becomes a druggie just
like his pitiful parents. At least he’ll have some fond memories to look back
on while he sits in prison!” She smiled. “I’m going to get my camera!”
    She left and I
thought about jumping out the window right then and there. But I knew that was
futile. We lived in the middle of nowhere and I needed the family car to get me
into the city.
    My foster
brother Corey walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He crossed his
arms and stared at me for a long time.
    I was tempted to
tell him that today would be the last day I would ever see him, but I couldn’t
bring myself to do it. He and I had actually become great friends despite his
parents’ treatment of me, and if I wasn’t so broken on the inside I would’ve
stayed a little longer—just for him and his little sister.
    “I’m sorry about
my parents.” He sighed. “But I want you to know that I really liked having
a brother— a lot . Are you going to forget all about me and Jessica when
you leave and start over? I can’t blame you if you say yes.”
    “What are you
talking about? I’m not—”
    “Don’t worry.”
He