So, I was expecting this post to be very excited and happy-go-lucky about the very fun birthday I had. Things were going great - went out to lunch with my mom and then went to Plucker's Wing Bar for dinner for a free meal (they give club members free meals on their birthdays) and then came home to watch West Wing with some of our friends. All was going well and we were getting ready for bed when I received a terrifying phone call.
Apparently, my brother (you know, the one who just turned 21) decided to disappear without a trace this afternoon. He closed his bank accounts and took his computer, gps, and the car and left. People close to our family already know that this is especially terrifying because Danny has Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's is a high functioning form of Autism that prevents him from fully understanding social interactions, emotions, and "bigger picture" implications of his actions. Even though he is nearly a genius - just shy by a few IQ points - he doesn't have very many skills necessary for living alone, though this is something that he's been working on with my parents for years. He is finally succeeding in college, recently got his driver's license, and is learning what is necessary to take care of himself. The hope was that he'd earn his degree soon and then would start trying to find a job and possibly get an apartment. I'm unsure what suddenly spurred him to abandon this plan.
He was found in Fort Stockton, TX, on his way to El Paso where he was planning to live. My mom managed to track his cell phone and the police picked him up. He was confused as to why he'd be on the missing person's list and thought that his actions were completely rational. The Fort Stockton Police Department says that he was articulate and seemingly without disability so they were unable to detain him (which is complete and utter bullshit, if you ask me. If you have been declared an adult child by the government then OBVIOUSLY there is some obligation by the police to return you to your guardian/parent!) and he has promised to drive back to Austin. Whether or not he returns has yet to be seen but I'm pretty sure he won't try to pull anything else now that the police are involved.
Needless to say, the end of my birthday has been stressful, emotional, and draining. I'm still so full of adrenaline that it is unlikely I'll fall asleep any time soon. I am frustrated that he didn't talk to me - which he normally does before going through with any crazy schemes - and I am hoping he gets home safely. Fort Stockton is about a six hour drive from here, so hopefully he'll be back in the morning.
**UPDATE 2:00 PM - Danny was driving home from Fort Stockton after getting some sleep and things seemed to be going pretty well. I spoke to him briefly on the phone and he said he was sorry for making us worry. Then, just when I thought things were alright, he totaled his car. He apparently lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a light pole, then rolled into a barbed wire fence. He is unharmed and there were no other cars involved. The sheriff in Llano is now holding him since there was still the missing person's report out and my mom is picking him up there. I can't wait for this whole ordeal to be over.**
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