When I was four and a half mum was acting very strange she was extremely happy. She said we were going to the zoo. A car came to collect us, there was a tall man sitting in the front. Mum had actually got a boyfriend his name was Peter. He was a wonderful man who accepted me, I hoped Peter would be in our lives for a long time.
Life was good. We were three happy people. Peter decided it was a good time for us to live together. At last I was part of a family again. He had a flat in Rochford, so we moved in and it was soon time for me to do my first day at infant school. One day mum and Peter told me to sit down as they had something to tell me. I was going to have a baby brother or sister. Our family was going to become bigger. We would need to move again. We moved to Westcliff and lived in an end of terraced house with three bedrooms.
Once a month I would be taken by mum and Peter to visit my real dad. They would leave me there for a whole day alone. He would tell me that one day we would be a family again until I told him mum was having a baby. He didn’t like that very much so he decided to move back to Italy. I have not seen him from that day onwards.
It was August 1995 mum was enormous and seemed to be in pain. Peter took us to Rochford. I was left there with my auntie while he took mum to hospital. At 5.23 in the afternoon mum had another baby boy his name was Thomas Graham Streames. Peter came to pick me up and take me to see my new little brother. I was overwhelmed.
Time passed and life became extremely busy as if something was going to happen. Mum asked me if I would be a pageboy because she and Peter were getting married. The big day arrived. It was a lovely day; the sun was shining and at last I got my new dad for real. I became Anthony Streames. We went to Grand Canaria for our honeymoon Mum, dad, Thomas and I.
I returned to school in Chalkwell and told my teachers my new name. They were very pleased for me. Time passed and I went from infant school to juniors. I always tried my best because I liked to please everybody.
One day Thomas and I were sitting together and mum and dad asked us to listen as they had something to tell us. They were very pleased to say we were going to have a baby which would be born sometime after Christmas. I was hoping for a sister this time to make our family complete but mum wouldn’t find out. She said we had to wait for the surprise.
We had a wonderful Christmas, as always. The New Year began, February soon arrived and once again mum was looking very large but nothing happened; her due date had come and gone. The doctor’s decided she should go into hospital. Grandad came to look after Thomas and I off mum and dad went. The phone rang, it was late at night but I was still awake. At 10.40pm mum had had another baby boy. I had another brother whose name was Christopher Peter Streames. I couldn’t wait to meet him as our family was complete without a sister, but you can’t have everything can you?
The years ticked by, senior school was getting nearer but dad didn’t want me to go to the senior school in Westcliff. They talked about moving again. Mum and dad decided they liked the schools in Rayleigh and also decided we needed a larger house. They chose one with four bedrooms. We moved to Willingale Avenue, where I soon made friends once I started school at Glebe Junior School; I was always with Dean and Dan having all sorts of fun.
I was eleven years old. I’d just left Glebe. We went on a family holiday to Cornwall. We always stayed with our uncle in Padstow. The weather was always nice and we went to the beach every day. I knew when we got home I was going to start at Sweyne Park School. I’d finally reached my last school and I couldn’t wait.
On my first day I met up with Dean and a couple of other friends to walk together. We laughed and chatted all the way. I met my first teacher. Her name was Miss Eves. Dean wasn’t in my class but Dan was. At least I had one of my friends there. We could always meet up with the others at break time.
We once again had a great and exciting Christmas spending it with all the family but the New Year was the one everyone was looking forward to; it was going to be the start of a new millennium no more 1999. We have now reached the year 2000.
In February 2001 mum and dad called Thomas and Christopher and I together as they had something to tell us. I am sure you can guess what it was! Once again there was going to be another baby. It was due to be born in November. I wondered what it would be this time. The year went by very quickly. Mum became massive once again.
The baby was due to be born the on 1st November but it didn’t arrive, again. Maybe a good fireworks display would help but it didn’t. On the 7th of November all of us boys went to bed wondering if this baby would ever arrive. At 12.25am mum finally had the baby and at last I finally had a sister, Amy Lisa Streames. Finally we were a complete family.
Another year has gone by and the time has come to choose my options. It’s not long now until I have to think about work, but before that, I have a chance to do work experience, I chose to go to Homebase in Rayleigh. I worked really hard and enjoyed every day that I was there.
I am in my final year. I need to do well in my exams, although I still haven’t decided where I would like to work when I leave school. But now I am 16, I am hoping to get a weekend job at Homebase and work with the people that I met before.
This is all I can think to tell you about my life so far, although I am sure there is a lot more to come by.
