Wade was eighteen years old when in lockup. Mr. Chura had known him before from his previous job, at an alternative high school. Wade loved school, he never missed class, and never caused trouble, but one day Wade missed class. He later on told Mr. C that it was because he had to run from his bus stop. He ran because these kid's cousin and Wade have a problem with each other. Wade saw a gun and ran with his friend Arlene. "Shit-sorry-they coulda killed Arlene. I just ran" (34). These were the issues that Wade dealt with to just go to school. Wade then showed Mr. C pictures of his mom with much pride. It was clear to Mr. C that partying was very important to Wade's mom. He told him that his mom started to shoot up right after her youngest child was born and that "she'd be depressed, then she'd get real wild, out partyin' all night" (36). His mom was not much of a mother, but he still showed off his pictures to Mr. Chura. Wade disappeared soon after his talk with Mr. Chura, he was gone for about three or four years and that is when he showed up again in Mr. Chura's classroom in lockup. Wade had gone to like with his drug addicted aunt. His little sister one time carried the drugs from her aunt's dealer to her aunt. When Wade came home he saw needles everywhere with little kids running around. "I went nuts and smacked her. I had to. She was killin' herself, and those babies" (39). Wade has new pictures of his mom to show Mr. C, and now she was in the hospital, which Mr. C excepted was from AIDS. Wade left to serve five years at a state prison at the ripe age of eighteen. Mr. Chura knew that by the time Wade got out his mom would be dead, then what was Wade to do?
Wade's story, much different than Ray's story. Wade's mom stayed and let Wade witness the pain that drug addiction and depression causes. Wade grew up quickly and had to learn to defend for himself considering he always had to be careful, if he was not always watching then he or a loved one could die at any second. If a young teenager has to live with that fear how are they supposed to go to school, have a job, and interact with their peers in a healthy way? They cannot, which is why so many of our youth ends up like Wade. Wade could not even get on the school bus without have a fear of being killed, therefore he could not go to school. These factors in Wade's life set him up to fail in life, because how does one pursue goals to be successful in life if their goal everyday is to stay alive? And how is this fair? The family who you are born into for the most part defines you so if you are born into a bad family full of failure, abuse, and poverty then how do you not become the same? Is that an individuals responsibility? It should be the government's responsibility to create equal opportunities for everyone to achieve success.
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