Chapter 225: Short on Money
Frank returned home this time with a resolve to change. He had begun to realize he was slowly becoming "Frank" in the worst way—apathetic, self-destructive, and directionless.
He had once considered quitting the business altogether. Ending his partnership with Walter and Pinkman, walking away with over $300,000—more than enough to live a decent life. He dreamed of becoming a law-abiding citizen, spending the rest of his days with his children. But he had hesitated.
Because getting out is easy. Getting back in? That's the hard part. Finding another genius like Walter would be nearly impossible.
But Frank soon realized things weren't that simple.
He loved his kids. He wanted them to have bright, fulfilling lives.
At the very least, he didn't want them to struggle just to survive. He didn't want them to become like the countless office workers who live like zombies, dedicating their entire lives to work in exchange for a meager paycheck.
He hoped his children could do what they love, live the life they wanted.
This desire—to see one's children live well—is shared by most parents. But due to differing worldviews, it often leads to conflict and misunderstanding.
Some parents push their kids to excel, to always be number one, because they've felt the harsh reality of a world where no one remembers second place.
Others try to live vicariously through their children, setting life goals on their behalf—becoming doctors, teachers, professionals—without ever considering what the child wants.
To these parents, such careers seem stable, respectable. They themselves may have failed to reach such heights, but they hope their children can.
Each family is different. But the starting point is the same: parents want the best for their children. They want them to avoid detours, avoid pain, and avoid unnecessary suffering.
However, when love is defined solely by their own standards—without considering the child's thoughts or feelings—that love can become selfish, even harmful. And often, they don't even realize it.
This leads to conflict. Parents can't understand why their kids don't appreciate all they've sacrificed. But that kind of one-sided love ends up only moving the parents themselves.
Every parent wants their children to succeed, to break free from the hand they were dealt.
But changing one's life sounds much easier than it actually is.
Especially in the South Side slums—a place like a muddy swamp. Escaping is not that simple.
Just moving out of the neighborhood doesn't mean you've left it behind.
The South Side slums represent a state of mind.
The kids were born here, raised here, rooted here. Everything around them shapes who they are.
Take Lip, for example. He's smart—very smart—but only in a narrow, short-sighted way.
To outsiders, Lip is a genius. Perfect scores on every test. He could graduate college early while still in high school. He even invented a police tracking device—something close to black-market tech.
If that tracker fell into the wrong hands, who knows what damage it could do.
But despite his brilliance, Lip only thinks about how to make quick money during the summer.
That's why Frank sees him as merely clever, not truly wise. Real wisdom is about planning your future, setting goals, and striving to achieve them.
Lip has no goals. He's coasting through life without direction.
He's trapped—mentally and socially—by the poverty and despair of the South Side.
And he's not alone. Fiona and the others are also trapped. They've lived here all their lives. They can't imagine a life outside this world. They have no desire to change. The limitations are in their minds and hearts.
Karen, however, is an exception. She's halfway out the door—already glimpsing what lies beyond.
So, yes—$200,000 is a huge amount of money to Frank's family. A fortune. More than they've ever dreamed of.
But when it comes to truly changing their lives, their fates, breaking free from the grip of the South Side? That amount is a drop in the bucket.
Especially if Frank wants to change the lives of all six children.
Forget dreams and destinies—for now, these kids are barely surviving. Every day, they worry about putting food on the table.
When survival is all you can think about, dreams are a luxury you can't afford.
Even the idea of being a zombie-like office worker with a stable 9-to-5 might be a dream to them.
So, yeah, $200,000 is nowhere near enough.
Just paying for college alone—six kids—would wipe that money out in no time.
College, however, is a path forward. A fast track to breaking free from their current mindset.
It's a chance to rebuild yourself, expand your horizons, make connections. Frank and Walter are living proof of that.
Frank wants all his kids to go to college—even Carl, who's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.
Thanks to mandatory education, anyone who doesn't drop out can usually get a high school diploma. Top universities are probably out of the question. Even regular colleges would be a stretch—Carl is ten and still struggles with multiplication tables.
Plus, while Frank was away these past six months, no one was keeping an eye on Carl's studies. He got held back and is still in third grade.
Debbie, who's just two years older, is about to start middle school.
So Frank has zero academic expectations for Carl. He can only hope that once Carl finishes high school, he can get into a lower-tier college—as long as they can pay the tuition.
Which brings it all back to one thing.
Frank desperately needs money. A lot of money.
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Frank looked at Lip, who was tinkering with the police tracker device, and said:
"Lip, I want you to go straight to college this fall. Any school you want."
He didn't want Lip wasting his youth and brilliance on meaningless side hustles anymore.
They never had the money before. But now they had something—enough to cover at least Lip's tuition.
Lip had perfect test scores. Unless a school had specific physical or character requirements, like West Point, he could get into just about anywhere—Harvard, Yale, MIT, even Frank's own alma mater, Northwestern.
Lip paused what he was doing and looked up at Frank.
"College? You gonna use your money to pay for it? Or should I just take out student loans?"