When Lenny turned eighteen he decided to escape. He enlisted in the Navy. Lenny and Jim talked about Lenny’s enlistment for a long time. Lenny just barely made it through high school by the skin of his teeth. He was becoming a nervous wreck because of his parents and he had to make his decision to go now because he was at the point he could not continue to cope with the fighting. Lenny didn’t realize that it was the strength of him and his brother Jim together that kept each of them from going over the deep end. Jim knew this though, but didn’t say anything. Jim felt that Lenny going into the service was indeed the best decision for Lenny; in fact, it was the only decision.

On a dismal, rainy fall day Jim, his mother, father and grandmother took Lenny down to the train station, downtown Detroit, and said farewell to Lenny. His train left for the Great Lakes Naval Recruit Center in Chicago. As the train pulled away Jim knew it was a part of himself leaving on that train. Now, Jim was left to cope with his parents by himself. On the way home Jim’s parents got into one of their senseless arguments about making a wrong turn and Jim began to cry. It finally occurred to him that he was alone and Jim cried himself to sleep on the way home from the train station.

CHAPTER V

Drink to escape

Jim was now fourteen years old. In the family home is a finished basement, consisting of a bedroom, bathroom, laundry room and recreation room. In the recreation room was a large bar, which was always well stocked. His parents didn’t drink, but kept an ample supply of liquor on hand to entertain their friends. Jim began to drink. His parents never really paid any attention to him. They each worked long hours at their respective jobs and paid little attention to Jim’s moving into the basement. He had his room decorated in the normal boyish fashion and he kept a guitar in the recreation room. This basement became his hideaway; it took the place of the top of the stairs, which he no longer was able to share with his brother. When Jim needed a safe place to hid from all the outside world be would go downstairs, drink and play his guitar. He eventually became quite good on the guitar. He even formed a group with four other fellows. They called themselves the Everglades and began to play at most of the high school dances and parties. Jim and his band became very popular and he consistently had a house full of people when the band came over to practice. But Jim’s drinking became worse and most of his friends knew it. He would drink when he came home from school and played his guitar until he passed out. Jim was living his own life now and his parents lived together, but did not live together as husband and wife. Since Lenny left Jim’s drinking became his crutch. He had no one to talk with or no one to turn to, so a drink became his best friend. Jim would just get drunk and hold his feelings inside. He knew no other was to cope, except to drink.