ED. NOTE: Not all the teens interviewed by FRONTLINE were exposed or even connected to the syphilis outbreak; in fact, many of the younger teens didn't know about the strange events that occurred in Rockdale County in the spring and summer of 1996. So what about as a whole family. Are you close as a whole family? Kevin: Not really. We don't really spend that much time together. Mainly, the only times we're really together are on holidays: Christmas and Thanksgiving. Other than that, we're not really that close. Jenny is your family close would you say? Jenny: Not as not as close as most families are. I don't think, anyways-- I mean, in my eyes. I'm always gone. Like I'm never here. And that they could be closer I think. Like we don't say 'I love you' to each other or nothin'. I don't even talk to my dad much or my brothers. That's how I see it. I don't know. Brandi: We don't--we never ate together. Maybe once every three months or something. I mean, we don't sit down and eat. Everybody just gets their plate and goes in the living room and eats. . . When I go to my friends they are, the plates are all fixed out, everyone eats together and that's just kind of like ya'll's talkin' time. But we're just kind of--it's just like another piece of the day. You just go fix your plate, eat, watch TV, finish watchin' whatever you're watchin'. Amy: After supper was over we didn't have anything else to do, so we would just all go--like my mom would go upstairs, my dad would go to his workshop or to the TV in the living room. I would go to my room, my sister would go to her room, and we never talked anymore after that. After dinner. And we didn't really communicate like we should have, or like we had before, earlier, when I was littler. Kevin: I think my dad would like me to spend more time with him. . . When I was a kid I always sat with him in a chair and watch TV all night. And whenever I got home from school I'd go run into my dad's office--Hey and all that. Now it's just like, come home, Hey I'm home. Goin' somewhere. See ya later . I miss it. The feelin' that we used to have. It's kind of like I grew out of it and it's not somethin' that I just wanna go back and do. But, I wish we could we could be a little closer. home | discussion | is this story isolated? | interviews | the syphilis outbreak more about rockdale county | resources for teens & parents tapes & transcripts | synopsis | press FRONTLINE | pbs online | wgbh New Content Copyright © 1999 PBS Online and WGBH/FRONTLINE