Urchin.1
Even before I had finished Lez's poem of inner city life, her image returned to my mind. She must be about thirty now. A sadness welled inside at the thought of her, and I hope she faired better than I expected her to.2
It was about twenty-eight years ago when I saw her, for the one and only time.3
I was eight years old, and learning to be a man. I had jumped at the chance to go to work with my father, but I had no concept of the alien world in which he would travel each night. 4
We left the farm around eleven thirty that night, the Bedford TK's flat bed was loaded high with cherries, plums and every variety of home produced fruit. The trip into London did not take long, it rarely took more than an hour to reach Covent Garden Market at that time of night. As usual we crossed the river and headed for Kings Cross, although this took us out of our way, it was a extra piece to the journey my father took each night to collect the list of tomorrows newspapers for the other stall holders in the market. Of coarse, Kings Cross was famous even to me, and I relished to be going to a famous part of the city, even I knew it had a station on the monopoly board.5
We passed down the narrow streets, and despite the continuous street lights, they always appeared gloomy and poorly lit. A large bill-board above a small cinema advertised the film it was showing, "What no pajamas?" It showed that film for as long as I can remember, and to an eight year old boy, it's title alone filled my mind with thoughts my mother would have tried to wash away with soap, had she known how my innocence, with the aid of the beautiful woman on the poster, accepted that this film was not about lost luggage.6
It was only a little way down this same road that I saw her. Near midnight in what was probably the scariest environment I would ever witness at that time. She sat alone on the kerb, her naturally blond and curly hair full of dust and city grime fell unbrushed around her face. An image Shirley Temple would invoke each time she appeared as Annie on the T.V. But at least Annie smiled and had a spirit which radiated out of the screen. I pointed out the young girl to my father, my concern that something terrible must have happened, to place this poor girl, no older than three or four years of age onto the street at this time of night. A concern which my father dismissed as, "It's OK, she an urchin, there's lots around here."7
I had learnt about urchins, they where a spiky looking creature which lived in the sea, and I could not see the connection to this little girl at all. But I was learning to be a man, and by no means could I declare my ignorance to my teacher.8
I mentioned her to my mother and it was explained to me that her mother was probably a lady of the night, these, as I understood it were Victorian can-can dancers, I had seen these in films.9
As weeks passed, each night I travelled the same roads with the man I hoped to become, and on each trip I would gaze at that kerb stone where she had sat, but the stone always remained empty. Each school holiday I would eagerly go to the market in that strange midnight London world, and I would always look, for the absent girl.10
As I grew I, those few seconds I had seen that girl would always haunt the back of my mind. I saw many kids in the streets over the years, but none of their faces would remain with me, they were just street kids, but her face is remembered better than my own. In time I came to understand the descriptions given to her and her possible parents, and I feared her fate.11
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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This is such a haunting tale, my heart reached out to that little girl and I wished I could have taken her home. Such a journey of life too for the little boy who so wished to become a man, thank you
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This was an interesting write. A couple of spelling errors here and there, but nothing major. I quite liked the way you wrote here. Nice write.
-morgana
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Nice little piece of human interest. I liked the way you captured that childhood curiosity and that effort to understand that compared a sea urchin with a child urchin. I also learned something else. I was about to correct you on your spelling of "kerb", supposing that "curb" was the only correct spelling. But I was wrong, and you were right. Thanks.
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This is extremely sad, but beautiful. I love the way the story flows. Great job!
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This is so sad to me, being a mother of three daughters I can't understand how anyone could care so little for their own child as to let them sit on the curb at night unattended! So young and so alone! Makes me sad. I think that I would have just scooped her up and took her home that night. Your story is very touching Andrew, the way you never really got over her face and worrying for her the way you did. Excellent story you have written! I hope you visit me here on story write to.
~Laura
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Andrew, I know the places about which you write, been there many times... I can picture the girl sitting on the curb, covered in grime from the city streets. This is a wonderful coming of age piece that touches on society and it's homeless population. I also like the contrasts you've drawn between the farm boy and city urchin... I would like to have read more - you grabbed and held my attention right from the start. Excellent, thought provoking write... Thank you - Helen.
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Nice..
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Thankyou Sarah, The main character is really me, and yes, that little girl really did sit on a kerb in the middle of the night in one of Londons back streets. The few seconds that I saw here have never left me and her above all others springs to my mind everytime the darker side of life is mentioned. I think the thing which made her stand out in my mind so much was the fact that she was playing with something and seemed perfectly at home.
Andrew -
This is really something. The way with which you or the main character spent a lifetime looking for and concerned for her is astounding, and reflective of the child and then man in the main character...how his concern and nearly longing carries through life..and he never ever forgets her..I find it extremely touching.
Sarah
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