I hate my life.
Six months ago, I turned 18. My father, Harold, owns a large shipping company and makes a ton of money. Mom is a laid-back homemaker who likes to watch soap operas on TV. I have a 10-year-old sister, Megan, who is in fifth grade.
In a few months, I'll be finishing high school. I always did well in class and had As or Bs in every subject, but I had enough studying. My father insisted I continue to college to become a physician, lawyer, or engineer, but I was fed up. I wanted to join his company as an employee and climb through the ranks. He said, "Son, the company will be yours one day, but you need higher education. I don't care what you choose, computers, business, even history, but only graduating high school is a sign of failure in life!"
I looked at Mom. She stayed quiet and let Dad and me decide. Dad kept pushing me about the subject, and I tried to stay in my room as much as possible to avoid these bitter arguments.
Frequently my door opened, and my little sister showed her funny missing-teeth face to ask my advice or chat with me. I didn't like disappointing her and did my best to accommodate her wishes.
In summary, I was miserable and didn't see a way out.
One day my uncle, Dave, came to visit. He was my father's younger brother. Many years ago, he moved to Sidney, Australia, with his wife and daughter, and like his older brother, started a small shipping business.
He heard Dad and me fighting and said, "Joel, I agree with your father. Basic knowledge beyond high school is a good thing. A college degree usually means a higher salary for whatever you choose later in life. However, if you want to come to Sidney, live with my family, and make your decision there, I'll be happy to have you as a son in my home."
A week later, I gathered Dad, Mom, and Megan and told them I decided to accept Uncle Dave's offer and move with him to Australia. I've read articles about the lives of Americans who moved to Australia and thought I wanted a similar experience.
Dad's face was a mixture of anger and disappointment, "Joel, I've heard about a small number of individuals who succeeded in life without a college degree, but the vast majority needed that. You are an adult now, and it's up to you to make your decisions. I hope you'll never regret this one!"
Later Megan came crying into my room, "Joel, I love you, and you don't love me anymore... You go as far away from me as possible. I'll never see you again!"
I caressed her hair, "Bunny-face, I do love you and promise to visit you often."
Mom hugged and kissed me, "Joe, you are leaving a loving and caring family. You are moving to a foreign country. You'll still speak the same language, but the mentality and customs are very different. I love you and will miss you a lot. Can I do something to change your mind?"
Mom was another issue I tried unsuccessfully to suppress. I was obsessed with her for quite some time. On my 18 birthday, I got a new Toyota from my parents. The following day I tested it and liked it a lot. After the test drive, I entered their bedroom to thank them. Dad was at work while Mom sat in front of her mirror with a soft sheer bra and low-cut panties. I stopped in my tracks. Never before I saw her in underwear, she always made sure that she had at least a robe on her. She looked fantastic - Her long brown hair was loose, framing her pretty face nicely. But her bra-covered large breasts...
She smiled at me, "Joe, do you need something?"
I approached her, kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Thanks for the new car."
I left the room, and the sight of her full tits never left my mind. I was obsessed! Continue living in this house, seeing Mom every day, and knowing that only Dad was privileged to watch and touch these gorgeous orbs was too much!...
...
One day after graduating high school, I flew to Australia to my family's chagrin. My relationship with my father was, how shall I say it, unresolved... But I knew I'd miss my mother. My sister, well, I loved her in a certain way, but her clinching to me and following me were annoying.
Meeting Emily, Dave's wife, and their daughter, Olivia, was exciting. The last time I met them was years ago. Emily looked somewhat older and gained weight but was friendly as before. Olivia grew up to be a pretty 17-year-old.
The first week I spent learning my way around the neighborhood, touring the city, and understanding the Australian accent. The following week I asked Dave to teach me the basics of shipping. I began working on a delivery truck a short time later. It was a challenging job - The summer sun was hot and unrelenting. Driving for eight hours on hot days was torture, but I told myself I should take it as a man since it was my choice. Initially, Dave paid me like every other low-wage employee on his payroll, but six months later, he notified me that I did an excellent job and gave me a bonus. I asked him how he knew about my performance. He laughed, "Joel, before you came here, I had a long discussion with your father. He told me that you were stubborn like many other teenagers. However, he thought you were bright and could do a good job if motivated. I didn't have much hope, but I'd do ANYTHING for my family, so I let you start the hard way. Every two months, I get feedback from the regional supervisors and my clients about our deliveries. Among the five employees in your area, you were the only one I did not hear complaints about. You delivered on time; the products were in good shape, and no returns. Joel, You are an excellent worker, and I would like to promote you to a supervisor in a different area instead of George, who's retiring by the end of the month." I thanked him. After the promotion, I got my own small office and could avoid the scorching sun except when another delivery guy was sick or had a vacation.
Emily was friendly to me in their house, and treated me even better than if I were her son. She never bothered me or asked for my help. I had to beg her to let me help around the house. One day I saw her rubbing her shoulders and asked her what was the problem. She smiled, "Oh, it's nothing. I am getting older. I tried to carry a heavy load of laundry to the basement and hurt my shoulders and back."
I pointed the finger at her, "Emily, I was a football player in school and am fairly strong. Please sit down and let me massage your shoulders."
She smiled at me, "Joe, you help us a lot. You don't have to do it. My discomfort will be gone in three days."
"Emily, I don't care about you at all. If your body hurts, I know you won't be able to cook the meals I like..."
Emily chuckled, "You are a good boy but a terrible liar... OK, I'll sit down and let you rub my aching muscles."
I never learned how to do a proper massage, so I rubbed her shoulders the way I thought she might feel better. Moments later, her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned backward, purring, "It feels so good... I feel like a queen."
I did it for ten minutes and blurted, "From now on, you call me to do heavy work around the house. I earn money outside the home, but I need to justify the food and laundry I get here.
Emily grinned, "You silly boy, we love you and will do the same for our son. And thank you for the great massage. One of these days, I may ask you to repeat it."
"Sounds good, but next time it's better if you lie down on your tummy, and I'll do the shoulders and back with a special oil."
...
In my first weeks at their home, Olivia and I interacted little. She was at school until the afternoon and later texted her girlfriends for hours. One day during dinner, she seemed upset and almost crying. Emily asked her about it, and Olivia responded, "Our crazy biology teacher gave us an assignment that nobody knows how to handle. I'll fail his class!"
I said, "Olivia, let me look at it. I was doing well in biology. Maybe I can help."
"Joel, I appreciate it, but I doubt you can help. Our teacher is a crabby old man who loves to be in control and embarrass students in class..."
"Olivia, I believe you, but we have nothing to lose, so let me try."
After dinner, Olivia dumped a notebook and a thick book on my bed, and smirked, "Well, genius, if you can do anything about it, I'll be happy."
I looked at it. In class, the pupils learned about cell structure and basic physiology. The assignment was to determine how heart, stomach, and skin cells adjust to their respective tissues. The project was easy because we studied cell biology in America. And, nowadays, much of the data one can find on Google.
