The Road Not Taken: Another Path

Chapter 2

December 18, 1970

Sam took the mail out of the large green mailbox at the end of the drive. Finding a letter addressed to him from Purdue, he quickly opened it and scanned the message.

He wasn't greatly surprised to see that he was being offered a full ride scholarship. OK, he'd be a Boilermaker. That was the name of the Purdue team, after all.

Sam had convinced his parents that his decision to wait until the following year to start college was a good plan. He'd couched the suggestion in the facts that his Dad could use the help of one more year, that he would be able to play High School Basketball another season as a second year senior if he didn't officially graduate that coming May, and that he could take some classes at Indiana State in nearby Terre Haute. All in all, it was win-win plan all around.

He'd be able to continue with his music studies at Indiana State. His most recent local music teacher had left to go to Julliard and, besides, he needed to pursue a more sophisticated study of music. He'd basically completed all the high school coursework necessary to go on to college, but to maintain his student designation so that he could play basketball one more year, he'd taken some drama courses. He figured that was one area where he could utilize his musical talents and his eidetic memory would come in handy for memorizing his lines.

Sam reached the door of the house and walked in. He heard his mother calling him from the kitchen.

"Sam, did you get the mail?" Thelma walked into the room, drying her hands on her apron.

"Yeah, Mom. Looks like I'm going to be a Boilermaker."

"Purdue came through." It was a statement more than a question.

"Yeah."

"Sam?" Thelma looked at her remaining son with a worried expression. "Are you sure this is what you want? That Dr. LoNigro sure made some compelling arguments for you to go to MIT. You've always had this desire to learn about things and I know your Physics teacher, Mr. Edwards, just about hit the roof when he learned you were going to apply at Purdue instead."

"Mom, we've been over this before. I want to be there for you and Dad. I like farming, I like the cows, and I want to stay here in Elk Ridge. Why would you question that?"

"Because, Sam," Thelma sighed but went on. "Since you were little, I've seen you chase after that dream of yours. You've always had some kind of idea about time. You once told me that you saw it in the math, but I don't know what that means. You should be studying what you want, not going into something because you feel obligated."

"I am doing this because I want to." Sam stated this firmly, as if he was saying it as much to convince himself as his mother. "I know what I'm doing. It's the right thing for me to do."

"Okay, Sam, as long as you're certain." She smiled and patted his cheek. "I can't say I'm not glad you're going to be around."

Katie suddenly burst into the room. "Woohoo! Christmas Vacation! No more school for two weeks!"

"What are you going to do with all that time, Katie?" Sam teased her.

"Oh, I'm going over to Sarah's tonight to spend the night and we're going to plan it all out, Sam. Is that OK, Mom? Can I go?"

Thelma smiled. "You get your chores done first, young lady. If you get them finished, I guess it will be all right to spend the night out."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll get right on them." Katie looked at the envelope in Sam's hands. "What's that?"

"I'm going to Purdue next year. It's not too far. I'll be able to come home on some weekends."

"But that means you'll keep Tommy's old room longer. I wanted it." Katie pouted, feeling the world was being totally unfair.

"Hey, Sis. You'll get it soon enough. I'll tell you what, since I won't be home all the time, we'll switch rooms…" He saw Katie's face brighten and then fall at little as he clarified, "…in August. Would that be OK?"

"I guess. " She shrugged, not quite as happy but knowing it was the best she could hope for. "Thanks Sam." Katie ran out of the house towards the barn, eager to get her chores completed.

"That was nice of you, Sam."

"Well, Mom. I won't need as much space here when I'm living at college. Seems right that Katie should have the room."

Thelma gave her son a hug. "You better get your chores done too, Sam."

"Okay, Mom." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and followed his sister to the barn.