Running Away, Childhood Pregnancy, 2000, by Anonymous
From MemoryArchive
Who: Anonymous What: Running Away and Early Fatherhood When: 2000? Where: USA
I Just Snapped...
I am 18 years old and I am already the father of two boys. One is 3 and one is 4. I was 13 when I ran away, my life was okay until that one day in July. I had sprained my wrist two days earlier playing football (I was a quarterback for a select team) and it still killed. Me and my dad were yelling at each other when I snapped. I think it happened when he had me pinned against the wall. But he hit my arm and that's when it happened. I hit, kicked, punched, and did anything I could to get away from him. I finally pushed him out of my room then I locked the door, which is what I did to cool off.
I went and looked in the mirror to see what he had done and how I would explain it to my friends. I had a busted lip, black eye and a nose bleed. I decided that I was through. I scribbled a note, grabbed some stuff and slipped out the door.
The first hour I hid in the woods hoping to get found, I guess, but when it started to get dark I decided to find a place to sleep. I ended up sleeping under the stairwell of a chinese food place.
The first couple of nights were horrible. The 8th day I found a pay phone and called my girl who I loved very much. I told her what happened and where I was staying and she said she would come to see me. When she came we talked for a while. She had ran away once and gave me some advice. Her parents were out that night so I spent the night at her house. It was soo nice to sleep in a warm bed and talk to someone.
But I bought a bus ticket to Chicago where a friend of mine, who was 17, lived. He said could live with him. My girlfriend decided she was going to come too. The year there was awesome, no rules, no one telling me what to do. Me and my girlfriend ended up sleeping together, so in a matter of a couple months she was pregnant. Now I live in a small apartment with my wife and kids.
To everyone who runs away, my life was over that day I ran away. I missed out on the funnest years of my life.
Republished with permission from Runaway Lives.
