| Joanne |
Sometimes I wish some people would just fuck off. Like seriously. Just. fuck. off. Looking at me with their judgemental looks and raised eyebrows. Their stares. Judging me. Making up stories in their heads about who I am and what I'm doing. Turning their noses up and acting like they're better than me. Because why? they got nice tidy clothes and a warm house and a car. Bollocks. They haven't got a clue. They just pass me by as if I'm not there in my cardboard palace in the kingdom of high street. Don't even give me a first look, let alone a second. No recollection Acknowledgment Or care. Nothing. Hundreds of different characters every single day. And still nothing. Blazin arguments Fighting Kissing Stealing It all goes down here. All these stories. Get told in good ole Newport Town or City. Whichever way you wanna look at it. And it's those stories that make us the characters that we are. |
| Beat |
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| Joanne |
See me right. I'm more polite than most with my philosophy in life being I'll treat you the way you treat me. So if you give me the time of day, I'll give it back. You're nice to me, I'm nice back Learnt that from my nan And do I ever take things for granted? Hell no. You can't afford to. Not in this life. Not in my life. Because everything happens for a reason. I truly believe that. Now most days are the same. Same routine pretty much. Day in and day out. But today, Today is different. Today's THE day. Day 56. I wakes up about 6am Freezing my tits off Lips slightly blue My breath showing in the cold air with every exhale I gets dressed and chucks an extra layer on for safe keeping because we got some tail end of some hurricane is coming in tonight. Grabs my JD bag and wonders down to Greggs in Friars for the early morning commuters to Bristol and Cardiff. Great bunch to be fair. We're on a first name basis. Jennifer, Harry and Olivia. Sweethearts. They're my regulars. Always gets me a breakfast meal deal. Every day without hesitation. And every morning one of them will ask me what my plans for the day are. They get the same response Same old same old y'know. Same shit different day I goes But today IS different I goes Today is the the day I find out if y'know… They all smile and wish me the best of luck. You'll be fine Jo, Olivia says As she hands me a Bacon roll with ketchup and a black coffee. Same time tomorrow I eat that and glug the coffee to wash it down as I wander back through commercial street to the drop in centre for a shower. Each morning I'm there without a doubt. I walks through the door and Dave who runs the centre hands me a large towel and a small one for my hair. Heart of gold Dave has. He laughs because he knows what I'm here for. Not a day goes by that he won't see me. Put the kettle on I tells him as I dart into the cubicle and start running the water. Already beat you to it Jo, he yells in after me. After drying myself off I reemerge and Dave's already got a coffee waiting for me with my name on it. Starbucks meets Lidl. And I love it. Chocolate digestives and all. Every single day for the past year or so he's made the exact same cuppa. He knows just how I like it. Two extra sugars and as soon as my hand grabs the handle of the mug Dave goes without fail You don't need all that sugar Jo. You're sweet enough as it is. I says yeah well I gotta remain this sweet somehow haven't I He just chuckles Asks me how the day before was, as per usual. How much I made and what not, as per usual. Just a nice chat and a cuppa. It's nice. To be acknowledged. |
| Beat |
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| Joanne |
How you feeling? he says as he slurps his weak as piss cup of tea About today and all I dunno I goes Weird I guess I got these butterflies and that But yeah I dunno Wait and see Well the application was bang tidy so you got nothing to be nervous or worry about Dave says He smiles, tells me We got this I smile back He says Now are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I can just sit there Dave I say You got the centre to run. There's more people that need you more than me I'll be fine I promise. |
| Beat |
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| Joanne |
Just make sure you have the kettle on ready. He giggles and says deal Well I better shoot I tells him Set up and everything before I head on down I take a few biscuits and a packet of walkers Ready Salted. Stuff them in my bag for safe keeping later. He gives me a hug and says good luck but before he's blinked I'm away. |