A Long Walk Home

Chapter Two: Baker

My family situation was a mess from the start. My mother was orphaned when she turned 17. Both of her parents were killed upon impact in a high-speed accident with a fire-truck. My mother began supporting herself around the time she met my dad. My parents never got married, so I bear my mother's maiden name. When my mother became pregnant with my older brother, my father moved in to live with her, but he only stayed long enough to get her pregnant one more time, with me, and leave. With no man for support, a toddler, and another on the way, my mother did whatever she had to to keep us alive. I don't know all that she did. She wouldn't tell me, but I can speculate. Growing up, she was always gone at work. She worked 3 minimum-wage jobs at a time, from 5:30 AM through 11:15 PM, every single day. I honestly don't know how she did it, but with her gone all day, I only had my brother, Josh, to look up to. He was a terrible role-model.

At a young age, Josh got involved in gateway-drug abuse with his high school friends. Then, when he and his friends got caught and arrested for it, they all started a 12-Step recovery program and got their life back on track. But not Josh. He kept on smoking, injecting, and snorting anything into his system to fill the gaping hole where his mother was missing. He ran our house into a trash-pile.

I, on the other hand, found passions to fill my soul where my mother lacked. I discovered that I adored music, though I couldn't actually play an instrument. "Oh well," I'd think, "Someone else can play instruments for me just as well." I also discovered quickly how effective exercise is for relieving stress in this stressful world. The combination of constant music and working out really shaped my youth. I often tried to avoid my brother and his new junkie "friends" who'd come over and sleep all day, leaving before my mother got back at night.

Following my first visit to Alice's house, I found myself going there much more often. She would always bring happiness to my days, and her father had all but adopted me. He always had a life-lesson in store for me- so many that I began to wonder if he'd ever run out. He never did. Mr. Brown also gave me permission to use everything in his exercise pit, or as we called it, "The Dungeon". This was especially good because all my funds had recently disappeared, probably soaked up by Josh or one of his swine-friends, and I had no way to pay my monthly gym fee.

ººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººººº

One Saturday, while I was finishing up my routine in The Dungeon, I heard Alice's voice call me from the top of the stairs.

"Hey, Allan," her voice echoed.

"What's up?" I replied.

"Want to go to the spring when you're done? The weather is perfect, and I'm dying to swim."

"Umm, who else is going?"

"Just us."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," I said, "Maybe we can invite Peter?"

"Sure, I'll call him over while you get dressed."

"Strange," I thought, "I can't believe she thought I'd go alone. Doesn't she see the respect I have for her father?"