Chapter 1

When I stepped off the bus at the University of Texas in Austin and heard the door of the bus close, I immediately thought that sound and the significant importance it played in my life. I was approaching my nineteenth birthday and the first eighteen years of my life had closed just as the bus door had.

To understand my story, I simply must inform you of my years growing up. My father left home when I was very young and the only recollections of life was the constant fighting between my mother and father. I do not remember what year my father left but from that point on I became my mother’s useless male. My duties including cleaning bathrooms, washing and drying dishes and mopping the entire house. My mother applied for social benefits and along with my father’s child support she managed to lay on the sofa all day and drink herself into a stupor.

I was severely bullied at school because of the way I dressed when I went to school. I did not have much clothing, so my three pair of jeans and two t-shirts were my constant apparel. My tennis shoes were patched with duct tape to hold the soles on. It earned me the nickname “Hobo” which would follow me until I left town at eighteen years of age.

We only had one television in my house and it was in the living area where my mom was always laying on the sofa. So being able to watch anything on tv was out of the question. I had a few toys left over from when my dad was around, but I had outgrown them.

Since I was always being picked on at school or in a few instances beat up my grades did not matter much although I always managed C & B’s. I am not sure when or what grade I was in when everything turned around academically for me. Being stuck in your bedroom for extended periods of time left me with little do to other then sleep or read. I chose the latter and soon had read every one of my textbooks cover to cover.

I then started checking out book from the library especially about history which I really enjoyed. I learned about the Roman Empire, Genghis Kahn, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. By reading my textbooks carefully from cover to cover my grades immediately moved up to the better grades in the class.

My principal at my school wanted me to skip a grade but my mother refused. I mean after all I was cheap labor. I left John Milton with a 4.12 GPA, the highest in the school. My principal at Roosevelt High, Mr. Peterson was waiting for me on the first day of school. I met with him right after home room and he was waiting with my file on his desk.

I remember him being the first adult who exactly seemed as though he was seriously interested in me. He mentioned that he was going to monitor my progress and meet with me from time to time. He acknowledged that I could possibly have a bright future ahead of me which was the first time anyone had told me that. Up until that comment, I always thought that I would struggle for the rest of my life.

That first year, I met Miss Thompson who would be my English/Literature teacher. She gave us a list of books we would have to read that year and issued the first paperback on opening day, Animal House. I finished the book in three days but since I was still vague about the meaning of the book, I reread it gain. I then went to the library and talked to Mr. Tooley, the head librarian. He filled in the blanks for me basically making me understand that the book was about the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Communism. Once he described the characters to me, I reread the book again and everything made sense.

By the end of the year Miss Thompson had me read Great Expectations, Hound of the Baskervilles, Lord of the Flies, Old Man and the Sea, Jane Eyre, Last of the Mohicans and several short stories from Edgar Allen Poe.

I ended the year with a 4.21 GPA, the highest in the school. I was still being laughed at on a daily basis and had been punched several times that year. There was not much I could do about it other than report it which I only thought would make it worse. Since I was doing so well, Mr. Peterson suggested I skip a grade and become a junior immediately. I doubted my mother would agree but I caught her really drunk one night and lied saying it was just a permission slip and she signed it immediately.

It took me a few weeks to acclimate to junior class, but I caught up quickly. If I remember correctly the abuse became even worse because Hobo was a year younger and showing up the junior class. Again, I tried best to avoid everyone even skipping lunch most days where I would hide out in the gym and read or study.

Mr. Peterson asked me that year to start a tutoring program in the library after school for students who needed help. I agreed and soon there were two seniors and myself all helping anyone who showed up after school. I still remember Dillion Harper, the most beautiful girl in our school show up one evening when I was the only tutor then. She was woefully behind in Math and on the verge on failing. She dated Brad Parker who was Mr. Wonderful on campus and the quarterback of the foot ball team.

After finding out that Hobo was hanging out with his girlfriend my life got even worst. They would follow me around school, throw things at me and jump me in the bathroom whenever possible.

That year, a new couple moved in next door to my house. It was a younger couple as I would later learn were Walter And Sara McAllister. On our first introduction, I learned that Mrs. McAllister was a nurse and Mr. McAllister was a certified public account. When Mr. McAllister asked me about my schoolwork, I explained what had happened to me as of now. He seemed impressed that I had skipped a grade and told me if I was that could at math, he could use some help.

True to his word later that year he asked me to help him double check simple math and check spreadsheets for clients. I was super careful always striving to be correct and more than one occasion I would find an error which always made me feel great. Not that someone had made a mistake but that I could find it.

Toward the end of that year, I was in the library helping Dillion Harper take a practice test when her boyfriend walked in. He immediately accused me of sitting too close to his girlfriend. Dillion came to my defense saying I was the only reason that she would pass and become a senior. But since he had two buddies with him, I guess he felt he had to prove a point. Out of nowhere his fist met the side of my face knocking me to the ground. I remember laying on the ground for quite awhile and once I got up the library was empty. By the time I came back to school my left eye was swollen shut and most of the left side of my face was black and blue. I remember being sent to Mr. Peterson’s office from homeroom for an incident report. On the walk, I remember thinking telling the truth would be disastrous for me. So when he asked me what had happened, I lied and told him a boy in my neighborhood did it. I don’t think he bought it but there was not much he could do at this point.

I got out of that year without much more trouble in part because I did not snitch Brad Parker out. On the other hand, knowing I kept my much shut gave them carte blanche to do whatever they wanted to do to me. I still had two more years of school left and tried to make the best of them.

Once again, I kept to myself at school and worked with Mr. McAllister as much as I could. I had saved some money which was tucked under the carpet in my bedroom. If my mother ever found out she would drink it up in no time. In the middle of that year, Mr. Peterson called me into the office and asked me about where I attended to go to college.

I explained to him that my family had no money and my mother’s situation. Between study for school, working for Mr. McAllister and cleaning my house I had very little time for anything else. I explained that my mother constantly drank and did not have a job. He seemed quite shocked but listened carefully to my story.

When I ended, it was easy to see he was deeply moved. He informed me that he could help me to apply for several scholarships due to my stellar academic record. He asked me if I have given any thought on what I would like to do after graduating and I mentioned that I enjoyed the work I was doing with McAllister and might consider that.

At the end of the year, Mr. Peterson told me even though I was in twelve grade I would not graduate. We had one class in school that took nothing but pre-college courses. Since there would only be seven students in this class, I was given textbooks to take home and look over during the summer.