The Chicago Southside was not for everyone. It was a harsh and mean environment that could turn even the purest of hearts to stone. Violence within the families that resided there was not uncommon, so no one really payed special attention to the single child of Adam Johnson, Enola, as she showed up to school with new bruises. Her teachers nor her fellow students bat an eye, this was the Southside - they had their own more prominent problems. And so Enola quickly learned that she was on her own, it was her family thus it was her issue to deal with.
Enola never considered that leaving might be an option. To her knowledge if she had to escape, she had to do it on her own. She had to find the financial means on her own, she had to find a safe place on her own and she had to put a plan into action without her father finding out on her own. Now she didn't always believe that leaving the Southside and thus her father behind would be the best option, because in the end she feared being alone far more than she feared her fathers fist, after all the beating was something that had been part of her life for as long as she could remember.
However when she turned 18 and the school started talking to her about her future, if she wanted to go to college, and in case she did, where she wanted to go. They made her stop and think about who she wanted to be and about what kind of life she wanted for herself, so that's when she started looking for other options.
