Fork in the Road

Hey All.  The last day at St Luke's was certainly one I'll always remember................but then again I remember to many things. 
       My grandparents made me an offer............that I would continue to live with them and they would pay for my tuition to Bishop McDevitt High School.  They wanted me to stay on................even to pay for college.  They told me to think about it..............that gave me 24 hours.    I had already been thinking......about going fishing and hunting with Tommy.  We did almost everything together..........I missed him.  As I sat on the front steps at my grandparents house I tried to think of both sides of how things would work.  If I stayed here I would have a hot meal 3 times a day, nice clothes, my own bedroom and somebody that talked to me and even cared if I did my homework.    I also thought of what I would be leaving behind................No more drunken mother to deal with,  no father flying off the handle in rages, no more abuse from the beast.............. my time with Tom would be almost non existent.  It was something else that came to my mind, that I found was the only important thing to me.  I realized, that if I stayed here............then all those things that I would have sidestepped would now fall to Tommy..........alone.  I instantly knew that I could never let that happen..................he would receive abuse that previously had been directed at me............since I knew what that was like, there was no way I could let that happen.......................my choice to stay would have caused him to endure my share abuse, pain and beatings.  I love Tom...............how could I do this to him?  I'm sure you all know by now that I went home that day.................I wouldn't change that decision if it meant my life.  Each other is all we had back then................. that we could count on.  Enough for today. 
                                Until next time...............................God Bless.