"Rob

"Rob." Rob twisted around. He'd been in Boston for almost three months now. He had used up all of his spare cash and was almost afraid to try out the credit cards. He was getting desperate. He wanted to go home, but he knew his grandparents wouldn't let him go back.

"Rob." The voice was more urgent this time. Rob looked around again. He couldn't see anybody in the room. Nobody with a life would set foot in this room. It was a mess. He'd rented the room for thirty bucks a month. Rent payments were coming up. How would he pay the bills?

"Open up, Rob!" Rob quickly ran over to the door and turned on the lights in his apartment. He opened the door. There stood his grandfather. The last person he would have expected to show up at his door.

"Grandfather?" Rob asked. "Come in?" His grandfather stepped into the room and looked around in disgust. He was used to a rich lifestyle and Rob was living like a pig. Store brand boxes of foods and dirty clothes littered the room.

"I've come to tell you that all is forgiven, Rob. You can come back home."

"How did you find me?" Rob asked. His grandfather's eyes lit up.

"I sent a private investigator after you. Come home Rob, we love you." He was almost begging now. He placed a hand on Rob's arm. Rob realized how he was dressed far too late. His grandfather's eyes opened wide and then he collapsed on the floor. Rob quickly ran over to the phone, then realized there was no dial tone. He hadn't paid that bill yet. He ran down to the lobby of the apartment building and dialed 9-1-1 on the phone. Minutes later, a hospital crew arrived.

"I don't know what happened, he just collapsed." Rob said. He led them up to his room. The crew placed his grandfather on a stretcher and carried him out of the room. Rob followed them into the ambulance and rode to the hospital. He called his grandmother as soon as they got there. She arrived twenty minutes later.

"What happened?" she asked. Rob's grandfather still lay on a bed, motionless. He was hooked up to several monitors.

"I don't know." Rob said, not meeting her eyes.

"I think you do," she said. "I think you know all too well. I know he was inviting you to live at home again. I don't want you there. You're rude and disrespectful. I want you to stay away from us."

" I don't have any more money." Rob said. He looked helplessly at his grandmother. "Don't hate me."

"Choose one credit card and we'll pay the bill. Just stay out of our lives, Robert. You've ruined them enough." She turned away from him. Rob felt a tear running down his face.

Rob sat straight up in bed. His dreams had been way too familiar that night. He could remember that day like it was yesterday. He remembered putting his grandfather into the hospital and getting kicked out a second time. After that incident, he had moved to NYC.

He remembered his promise to himself. He wouldn't ever let anybody hurt him again. It would take a lot of effort, but it was necessary to survive. Dependence was for the weak. He couldn't be weak anymore. It would hurt him to much.

These thoughts in mind, Rob lay back down on the bed. It was 2 AM. Rob knew it would be a long time before he got back to sleep.