More Gray Hair for Me

The Oldest went to Austin this weekend. He went with a boy and girl I barely know. I did not want him to go because they really did not have a plan, and I did not know the friends he was going to go see at UT. They were all in school together last year and now that they are at different colleges they wanted to “catch up.”

Thursday night he began doubting that the trip was a good idea. He wanted me to tell him what to do, and I told him that I would not do that because I had taught him right from wrong, and he had all the knowledge he needed to make the decision himself.

I was encouraged because he started listing reasons he should not go. Some of the reasons were: no set plans, no definite sleeping arrangements, one of the people they were going to see had taken up smoking cigarettes, Oldest had the sniffles, worried about his allergies, what would he do if he got down there and they were behaving in a way that was not what he deemed appropriate, and he would not have a car to escape. I thought it was all a good list and felt as if he was leaning towards staying home. He informed me he would decide Friday morning.

Friday morning came and he decided to go. I told him to have a good time and that if he got into a situation he did not like then get out of it and I would come get him.

He texted me all the way there and they seemed to be having a good time and he said the driver was a good driver. He let me know when they arrived and said all was good.

I went to bed very early last night for me. 9:00 p.m. I wasn’t there to sleep. I was there to stay warm, work puzzles, and read. The Youngest would come in and out and work puzzles with me and get warm and then go back to his computer.

Around 10:30 the Youngest came in to stay. He had asked permission to play a game that he is not usually allowed to play and I told him he could play the lower version. Evidently it had something in it that bothered him and he told me that he did not think he would be able to sleep because of nightmares. I told him to stay in with me for a while and read like I was and then he could decide whether he wanted to sleep or not.

I was not paying attention to him as I was trying to finish a book but he must have fallen asleep, and I must have dozed off over my book because at 12:12 the phone rang and we both jumped up trying to figure out what was happening. It only rang once, but when the Youngest picked it up he said it showed the Oldest calling.

I grabbed the phone and called the Oldest immediately. He answered and I could tell he was quite agitated. He said that they had gone to one friend’s apartment where they were picked up by another friend and went to dinner and had a great time. Then they were dropped off at another apartment and that the friend that lived there (the girl that had started smoking) opened the door drinking a beer and that one of the other friends they were there to visit starting drinking when she offered him a beer. He went on to assure me that the two friends he went with had refused the offer of beer, as had he, but now he was really worried. He wanted to walk back to the original apartment so that he would not be in the apartment where there was underage drinking going on.

I told him I did not think it would be a good idea to be walking around in a strange area by himself at that time of night (morning). He thought he was about six blocks from where he was staying but not sure. I told him that at no time was he to get into a car with anyone that had been drinking, and that, if he had to, he should just sleep on the floor of the apartment he was visiting. I calmed him down. Told him to play close attention to who was drinking, and to offer to drive if they went any where, but not to get in a car with anyone that had been drinking.

The Youngest was awake by then and started explaining about gateways. Gateway drugs are tobacco, alcohol, and inhalants. I got quite the education about what he has been learning in health class. He said it made sense that the girl that had started smoking would be drinking.

At 1:34 a.m. the Oldest texted that they were walking to a store to get dessert.

At 3:04 the Oldest texted that he and the other boy that he had gone with were both safe. They had borrowed one of the drinker’s cars and had driven themselves to where they were staying. (I have no idea where the girl they went with ended up, she was never mentioned again.)

I finally fell asleep around 4 a.m.

I know I did a lot of crazy stuff in college, but my parents never knew about it. There were no cell phones, texting, or instant messaging. My parents and I did not speak during the week because we could not afford the long distance expenses. I can think of three times I was in very dangerous situations and no one had any idea where I was at the time. Anything could have happened to me. I always told my mom afterward, even about the naked cop passed out on the only toilet, and having to get someone to remove him so I could go to the bathroom. She of course, did not have to sit up all night and worry because she did not know about it when it was happening, and by the time I told her I had moved on to something else.

Me, I could be totally gray by the time the Oldest gets home tomorrow night. Of course, gray is okay. At least the Oldest trusts me enough to call and tell me what is going on, and he has the assurance that I will be there in 4 hours to get him if necessary.

Now I need a nap.