The Secret to Success

Once I snapped out of my trance, I realized I had to make a decision, and I had to make it quick. The question was, “Do I run to my right, east towards Telegraph Road, or do I run towards the left, west towards Lasher Road?” I decided to run west.

It all happened so fast. I wasn’t quite sure where I was headed and to be honest it didn’t matter as long as I was getting the hell away from them. When I got to the end of the block, I kept straight and ran through the neighbor’s yard to Ivanhoe Lane. I wanted to make sure my father couldn’t trace my steps. I kept running until I no longer recognized where I was. After I passed a liquor store on 11 Mile and Lahser, I noticed an empty field behind the houses. As I got closer to the field I discovered that it was a small park. The park had a few pieces of playground equipment: a swing set, monkey bars, and a metal rippled slide all enclosed by sand. I sat down on the edge of the slide trying to catch my breath. Once I regained my composure, I walked over to the swing set and began swinging. I tried not to think about the day I found out, but it was impossible.

It was a Catch-22. On one hand, I wanted to know the truth, but on the other hand, I was afraid. As far back as I could remember, certain family members tried to convince me that my mother was keeping something from me. I was really strong in the beginning; whenever someone would slightly hint about my mom and some family secret, I would dismiss it because of the ultimate trust I had in her. As the years passed, something was eating at me. I couldn’t take not knowing any longer. I took matters into my own hands.