Chapter I
-
Elizabeth Ann Valentine
[MOTHER † ]
– Deceased –
Willem André Goyette
[FATHER]
– State's Attorney –
Felicia Ionela Goyette
[STEP MOTHER]
– Full time Golddigger – -
Secondary School
After his mother’s death, Tony has his own way of going through grief, he lived in his mother’s spirit, knowing how his mother would wish for him to be the best version of himself. Incredibly mature for a boy his age, perhaps a bit too mature. To understand the full essence of those thoughts is way more difficult than scratching the surface and ignoring the heavy stuff. Young and naive Tony went to high school with a strong amount of forced joy and positivity. While puberty marched its way through to let Tony discover changes and unfamiliar emotions and feelings, everything was compressed to make space for what he thought was his mother’s wish. To make other people happy. Tony had a couple of friends but most of them were only there when no one else was available. A couple of times Tony even let his guard down to tell a girl how he was feeling about her. A fool in love. But often it turned out she only treated him nicely because she either wanted his brain for homework or felt sorry for him. No one ever validated his positive energy he tried to spread, they only took him for whatever class he was averagely skilled in, to copy off his homework. High school was a difficult time for him. Countless times he broke down crying without knowing why, but he kept smiling once he was out.
A time came where most hours were spent in an art studio to avoid going home facing his father, and whatever new attempt of replacement for Tony’s mother he’s found. Painting was his way of honoring his mother, a therapeutic way of expressing his feelings for his loss, but eventually it stopped. High school is a hellhole, and nobody’s safe. Tony was horrendously mocked and bullied for his positivity and big heart, and of course his creative spirit. He had no choice - he had to find new alternatives. For quite a while Tony was alone, and mostly skipping classes to avoid interacting with anyone at all - often without luck. For some reason people always found their way of mistreating him for just existing.
One day he decided to actually bother showing up, listen, and learn. Caught by the peculiar, kooky science teacher, Mr. Lloyd Epstein, Tony actually began to enjoy school. Ignored were the rest, all he was interested in was the subjects Mr. Lloyd Epstein was teaching. He was weird, exciting, and enthusiastic about just about everything he taught, which made Tony just as curious about things beyond. Most students didn’t like Mr. Epstein, or didn’t take him seriously. Mostly he was referred to as “The Mad Scientist” or “Dr. Coo Coo”, but he didn’t seem to care. However, “the little people” such as Tony, he cared for. Every day after class, when Tony came to ask more questions, the two of them spent hours just talking, laughing, and sharing their interests. Over time they grew very fond of each other. For the first time in years Tony found someone whom he cared so deeply for - someone who brought sincere happiness. Tony allowed himself to be goofy, not care, and to just do something he loved.
During the summer after Tony’s graduation Epstein brought Tony to science fairs, exclusive screenings, and he even shared his own projects, which Tony helped with. Despite an age gap of 27 years, they became this odd pair of friends with an unconditional love for science of any form. This was where Tony grew a strong interest for exactly that, which later on led him to a career-path towards becoming a neurosurgeon. Lloyd Epstein was a true inspiration for a young teenage Tony, he was almost some kind of fatherly figure, or perhaps that crazy uncle you become best friends with.
But then it hit hard. Lloyd Epstein, Tony’s best - and perhaps only - friend he really cared about, revealed he was suffering from an incurable illness, and probably wouldn’t have much longer to live. Just as Tony was off to college in another state, he had to say goodbye. Once again Tony felt lost and alone. Getting into the Neuroscience Program at the University of California - San Francisco was a big deal, and something he could not turn down, which meant he had to leave Epstein in Austin, Texas.
