Dallas is a big place, Joe was finding out. He started asking questions at shelters for homeless, unwed mothers and battered wives. Nothing. All alone in a big city, no money, Joe was getting desperate. He slept in his car. When his potato chips and chocolate chip cookies ran out, he swallowed his pride along with meals from soup kitchens. After a week, he finally called home.
"Where are you? How are you? Do you know what you've put us through? We're going crazy. We called the police. Everyone's looking for you!" Joe's mom let her terror and anger spill out.
Joe waited. There was nothing else he could do. When she was finally finished, he stammered, "I...I thought you would try to stop me."
"You're damn right!" his father bellowed in the background. "Come back here right now!"
"I'm sorry. This is something I have to do." Joe didn't recognize his own voice saying that. He couldn't believe he was standing up to his parents.
"We're calling the police."
Joe's mother was screaming and crying. His father was shouting. Joe hung up the phone.
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