At the age of eighteen, I had just graduated from New Paltz High School in the year 1977. I was very happy, as I had thought I would never see my high school graduation day. It was a wonderful day indeed. But with such joy came much sadness.
I had been living with a wonderful lady by the name of Nancy. She had been very kind to me, and had literally saved my wretched life. While living in New Paltz, I had a chance to meet some wonderful friends. One I fell in love with. It was puppy love, as its referred. But nonetheless, it was very joyful.
This young man, only a year older than I, was a very gifted man. He excelled in all he did, and was even in a special gifted, advanced school. There were only a hand full of students in the entire school. And his graduating class consisted of only six students. I was in awe of his intelligence. Along with that intelligence was great kindness and love.
He taught me many things that I had never known. How to canoe down the long winding rivers up state New York. And how to down hill ski during the snow falls of our winter months. It was so peaceful, and so amazing to me. I learned how to hike the wonderful mountains, and rock climb. We slept under the wonderful star filled sky beneath the apple trees of the local orchard. It was a time of great freedom for me. And I thought it would last always. I was so wrong.
After my graduation, Nancy announced that she was marrying her love Marv and would be moving out of New Paltz. I had no where to go. I had just graduated high school, been accepted at Pace University, but was told by my father there would be no money for such. I would have been the first to go to college in my family. But it was a dream that would never come true. I was devastated.
Dana, my wonderful young man, was accepted at quite a few Universities. He really had his pick of the lot. And his parents were willing to send him wherever he wished. He chose Berkeley University. He was so excited about going. On with his future full of bright avenues. While I was torn apart worrying about where I was going to end up. It would be Bogota, New Jersey, with my father.
My father was a bachelor for years now, after having divorced my mother. I had begged him some years earlier to let me live with him, but he refused. Now, he was willing to get a place for us to share. I was not happy at all about this, but had no choice.
I left New Paltz, New York, and headed for Bogota, New Jersey. As I stared out of the car window at the beautiful trees. There were just so many of them. They were breath taking, so green. There seemed to be endless land on our way to New Jersey. Until we reached the city areas and everything changed. I didn't spend much time in New Paltz, but I could have died there, and been quite happy.
We arrived at the two family house where my father had rented the apartment upstairs. The landlord and his family lived downstairs. They were an odd couple with a small child. Odd because he was much older than his young wife. And they spoke broken English, they were from Italy. I liked her but she wasn't really allowed to do anything without permission from her husband. He was very dominating. It was a two bedroom with a small kitchen and living room.
There was no furniture there, so my father said we would go out to some garage sales the next weekend and get some things. We eventually did get the bare essentials. I had no idea what he was really doing was trying to set this place up for me, so that he could continue staying with his girlfriend Lenore and her daughters in New York City. They were together since I was a very small child in Connecticut.
Dana came to visit me once he was set up to go off to Berkeley. When I saw him I just held him so tight. I cried in his shoulder, and didn't want him to ever let me go. But I knew this gifted young man didn't need any luggage like me along for the ride. He had a wonderful future ahead of him. And I knew I didn't. I was not going to screw up his life by being in his life. I told him I didn't want to see him anymore. That he was going to college now, and would meet lots of other girls. Girls that would be better for him than I was. He was crushed. He began to cry and begged me not to break up with him. That we would eventually be married once he graduated college. But I told him no. He left that same night on what must have been a terribly long bus ride back to New Paltz.
