I awoke the following morning at about ten thirty. My dad had already left the house, I decided now was the time to make my move. I packed a few essentials in my duffel bag, and some money I had been given from my mum before she had left. I had been hiding it from my dad, if he found out that I had three hundred pounds he'd snatch it of me immediately, I had been saving it for an emergency like this. I ran downstairs and slammed the door behind me.
I sprinted to the Nottingham railway station bought a ticket and dived on the nearest train; off I went into a new life ready for what life would throw in my direction.
I must have dosed of on the train because the next thing I knew, some bloke was tapping me on the shoulder, a great fat bloke stood there in my view, he was wearing a blue uniform and cap, he informed me that the train had gone as far as it could and that I would have to depart, I stood up and strolled of the train.
I could tell by the conductor's accent that he was a cockney, so I surmised that I was in London. I walked past the platforms yarning; I saw a vision of sunlight. I walked slowly out into the sunlight and standing in front of me was Big Ben, I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was the greatest and biggest monument I had ever clapped eyes on, I walked on out of the station grounds thinking what I should do, I need a job, I am seventeen years of age so I could probably get one, the only trouble is, is that I only had one GCSE and that was in sport studies, so I didn’t have a great record but there's got to be a job out there somewhere for me, I walked and walked all the way from Paddington Grove to Regent Street, I hunted for a job high and low, but no one seemed interested, It was getting dark and the night was drawing in, so I walked endlessly around London until I found a vacant hotel, the building was on a backstreet, it was huge and looked hideous, but I suppose I wouldn’t find anywhere else, not at this time anyway. So I took a chance and banged on the immense wooden door.
The door began to slowly but surely creek open; a man stood their wearing a vest and a pair of old dungarees.
"Yeah" the man growled
"I… I'm looking for a room for the night sir" I stuttered
"One hundred pounds a week, two weeks in advance" he muttered
I pulled my money out of my jacket pocket and handed him the due amount. This would probably be the best and only option I was going to get tonight.
It was soon the next morning and I went out yet again to find a job, all day I searched but nothing was found.
Two weeks later and still no sign of a job it was my last day in the hotel, well I wouldn’t really call it a hotel, but it was somewhere I could kip for the night. Where would I go from now, stay on the streets like some kind of tramp, catch pneumonia, get beat up by tramps, no I couldn’t, but what other option could I take.
I only have 10 pounds left it would only last me a few days, because I need food and drink.
It was nine o clock and I was still searching for a job, I was determined to find one, but still no luck. It was a dark and miserable night, the sun had gone down hours ago, I was getting tired, all the walking today had made me ache everywhere. I looked for a decent looking doorway with no muck or mouldy food after some time trying, I found a spot in between two buildings, I laid down, it was freezing cold and as hard as rock. It was like lying on ice. How could I do this for years on end until I found a job? In fact all my life. Who would hire me, who wants a tramp working for them?
I woke the next morning, I could hardly feel my back, I was aching and stiff everywhere, I had no money left, no food, no nothing. It came to three o clock. I had done nothing all day just sat down on a park bench dieing from boredom. I was starving by now, but couldn’t eat because I had used all my money. I needed food or I would probably die from starvation. I spent another night on the hard, cold floor of London. I woke up the next morning; the hunger was starting to kick in now. I was finding it hard to catch my breath, I spent all day and all night on the floor on my spot, which I could now call my home, thinking of a way to some how get food. I could pick food up off the floor like a scrounger would, but it would probably be diseased. There’s got to be another way. As I lay there stone cold I thought of a solution to end my problems, I could steal it from the local supermarket, but they would probably be watching me all the time as I am started to look a bit scruffy. That was the only way round it; I would have to resort to steeling. The super market was only about two hundred yards away, so I could walk it now. I've never stolen anything in my life, I wouldn’t dare, but this is the only way. I can't last another day without food.
I arrived at the super market, slowly walked through the automatic doors and began walking round the shop. I picked a few chocolate bars and a couple o packets of crisps and slid them up my jumper, I was shaking like a leaf, I was so nervous. Constantly I kept thinking about food so that took my mind off the steeling. I grabbed a few cans of drink off the shelve and headed for the door. The walk down the isle to the exit was like the walk of death. I was hoping that no one would see me but I was wrong. Someone grabbed me by my collar and shook me about; all the stolen goods fell out of my jumper. I had been caught.
The next thing I knew, I was in the police station banged up in cell, I suppose being in here was better than being on the cold streets but this didn’t solve my hunger problem. I heard a noise a tray scraped along the floor and underneath the cell door, I couldn’t believe my eyes. In front of me was a tray with food and a cup of tea lying on it, I literally dived onto the concrete floor and ate all the food and drank the cup of tea. I was still starving after, but I could breathe better now. I got back onto the bed and dropped off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, this was the best nights sleep that I had in days, when I was in a very deep sleep, the door creaked open, a women stood their and muttered “D…David”, I woke up suddenly as I recognised the voice, there standing in front of me was my long lost mum. At first I thought I was dreaming, the only person I really love was there right in front of my eyes, here to rescue me from this horrible and isolated life on the streets, now I really know what life on the streets is like.
