In My Life

Freedom

I started walking to the left of Strawberry Fields, only because when Mr. Wilson brought me here, we came from that direction, and I recalled seeing shops and restaurants and stuff while on the way here, so I just decided, "fuck it", and  never turned, just walked straight, into the downtown, or at least, I THINK it's a downtown...

On the way here, I only saw houses.  Though, like I said, I wanted to get a visual of this place, so I started drawing a map in my journal, starting from Strawberry Fields, and naming the streets I passed by and crossed.

I don't know what time it is, but I know I haven't eaten since about 3 or 4 hours ago, and I was already hungry and lightheaded, not to mention that painful empty feeling in my stomach.  I've been eating my snacks and drinking my water along the way, but I know I need real food, like a meal, and soon...not only that, having to write in my journal and hold it up was excruciatingly painful to my hands...Both hands were a nasty dark purple color, after all the life was practically smashed from them.  But I had to do what had to be done...I still need to get alcohol to clean it, as well as bandages, so they won't get infected, and I need to find SOME kind of job, but I don't know who'd hire a 9 year old, though, who knows...this isn't America, so maybe they have different rules here...And I DEFINITELY need painkillers..Something, because this pain was unbearable!

But first food...I can't think correctly on an empty stomach.

I look around for a  restaurant or diner to eat at, or at least a little cafe to get a sandwich...Ah!  Fish and Chips...Although, I don't really know what chips were...like potato chips?  I walked across the street to see...Oh!  Perfect timing, someone is going to order..I'll just see what they get and if it looks good, i'll get it as well.  Yeah, that sounds good.

They just got fish and chips and a Coca Cola.  Sounds fine to me...I also found out that Chips, over here at least, meant French Fries, so there's that...

I went up to the stand, able to see over the counter, but only my face showed...

"Hello there, how can I help you?"

"Umm, can I have the Fish and Chips, please?"

"Just one order?"

"Yes sir!"  I said with my best smile.

"Alright, then...that'll be 2 pounds, please." 

I took out the wallet from my backpack as carefully as I could, so as to not cause my hands anymore pain then they already needed to go through.  I took out two nickel sized coins, each one said "One Pound", and gave it to the man.

I just dropped it in his hands, like anyone would, and he took them, but I guess during the process, he saw my heavily wounded hands, and right when he took the money, he gasped loudly.  He even scared me.

"What?!  What?!  Are you alright?  Is there a spider, or a rat or something?"\

"No!  Your hands!  What in the world happened to your hands?!  Are YOU ALRIGHT?!!"

I have to think of something quick!

"Oh yeah, I'm alright!"  I say easily and calmly.  "It's just, my family moved over here about a week or so ago, and we live out in the countryside, and we came to town today, and earlier today, before we left, I was climbing a tree, and I slid down the tree trunk accidentally, because I lost my grip, and I got all these cuts, and they were already bruised beforehand because...because, umm...because my dad is a professional boxer, and I was practicing on a punching bag without a glove all day yesterday, so that's why I have the bruises and cuts..."  I smiled like it was nothing.

"But doesn't it hurt?"

"Well, yeah, but not so much as the first time I went glove-less, and I have cut my hands on tree bark before as well, but that hurt just a much as the first time..."