Do they need your care that much?
One sister is blind and has serious, serious personality issues, the other has a functional IQ of 40 (just an estimate, but it was an estimate by an expert). She's 14 and is only just learning to read, and is still struggling with larger numbers - along with absolutely everything else you'd expect to go along with the age of five.
To another question ("why will you have to be split up?"), it's actually pretty common for larger families to get split up into more "manageable groups" in order to find them a foster home in a shorter amount of time. Not only that, but the kids' privacy is often "respected" (so you don't get a deranged parent banging on the door demanding their child back), and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to find out where they're put. It's highly unlikely I'd see my younger sisters again. And what's going to happen when Kimmy (sister #2) hits 18, and is still mentally seven years old? My youngest brother would have issues too.
(Note, Frumple is right about the foster care system being notorious for inconsistent quality - it's entirely possible the home they'd be sent to would be
worse than where they are now, even for me, at least as far as a loving environment goes. At least right now we have each other, but if I take even that away from them...)
Tal's of age, and almost certainly not able to support the younger ones independently given the stated history. Calling in social services of some stripe would, judging by the sound of things, end up with them in foster care and Tal... probably on the streets, from the look of it.
Definitely on the streets, penniless, no friends or family members to call on (my family would probably disown me for it), nowhere to go, no way to get a job, and absolutely zero streetwise experience.
I wouldn't last long.
My other siblings have it easier than me. The blind sister (15) is enrolled in a nearby school. My mom particularly likes both of my younger brothers, and in fact granted the older one Internet access completely of her own accord. (Note, most stuff is "filtered" with OpenDNS, but still.) He's also learning to drive, and my mom has spoken with him about college. They have blond hair, I have brown. *shrugs* Maybe they're a lot less like my dad, too, I don't know, or she has something else against me, but I always went with the hair and facial structure. She's always really encouraging to them - when she's around, of course... so essentially I'd be splitting my siblings up and potentially ruining their lives just to get myself out of the house - and also making myself homeless at the same time.
Maybe calling the cops is technically the "correct" thing to do, but it might not be the "right" thing... if that makes any sense...
so, yeah, I hope you guys understand why I feel trapped.
edit: this is also becoming a little depressing. I try not to think about this kind of stuff.
I'm also feeling a
little on the ropes here.
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Topic: Things that made you sad today thread. (Read 9795963 times)