Chapter 1

 

Chapter 1

 

I was born in 1970, in South London. I was born at my home. My parents Robert and Susan Irons, both rather young for having a child, both 19 in fact. Robert’s Father disowned him for starting a family so young, refusing the families tradition. The tradition was that the generations would go to college and get a good job an maybe settle down by the age of 30. Roberts Mother did not disown him, she accepted that a new age was coming an people began falling in love more easily.

     My first few years on the planet was easy, I was a baby. No worries in the world, free as a bird, no financial trouble, no wobbly relationship with some girl, no school or work pressure. But the thing about life is, you don’t know what’s around the corner, something always jumps out and puts a big dent in your life.

     I achieved everything a baby does, learn to walk, talk and eat solids. My family was rather wealthy, not extremely rich, but richer than the average person. When I was three I attended nursery. The nursery was on the same premises as Upton Lower School, which I would attend after completing my time in nursery. I cannot remember anything about my nursery days, nor very much of my lower school days, only a few things stick out in my mind. But I can remember a lot about middle school. After I left Upton Lower School, I attended Hillsberry Middle School. Middle school was the best time of my school career. I had a fantastic time. I looked forward to every day. As the usual child, I was bullied slightly but that all stopped when I defeated Tom Hilkins, the major school bully. After that no one dared touch me. I found it amusing that the story of me defeating Tom Hilkins travelled to my upper school and even to college. I went to Hillsberry Upper school which was down the road from Hillsberry Lower School. This is where I met my one true friend. Nikki. Nikki Denley. I had had many friends by now, but she was the one person in the entire world who I could completely trust, I loved her very much and she loved me. I talked to her more than my own parents.

     We first met on the first day at Hillsberry Upper School, we were in the same class. Our teacher Miss Tilly, thought it would be a good idea for everyone to go around the class and speak to everyone, telling them who you were and a little information about yourself. Sort of a getting to know everyone session. Nikki was the third person I talked to. After that day, our relationship improved drastically. We had the same interests, we liked films, books, art, literature and sport. I was not as good at art and sport as she was but we often spent time playing tennis or something together. We went round each others houses and watched films together, we read together. One time sticks out in my mind a lot. I think it was a Saturday and I walked the three minute journey to her house, she greeted me at the door and took my hand and led me to her room. She said that she had a surprise for me, and when she opened the door I saw a picture resting on her bed. It was a portrait, a portrait of me. It was a magnificent picture, I had always believed that I was not that good looking, but she always told me I was. Nikki was beautiful herself, I didn’t have a crush on her but I respected her beauty. Nikki had long blonde hair that reached her lower back, she had blue-green eyes and a perfectly formed mouth and nose. I was slightly taller than her, by the time I was 14/15 years old, I was 6’ 2”. Her being 5’ 10”. Her cheeks had real life in them, they were radiant pearly white. Nikki never left her bedroom without make-up, so she was hardly going to leave the house without it.

     I was still stunned at the painting that rested before me, I thought I was ugly but the painting presented me brilliantly, she saw that I was stunned by the look on my face.

“This is how I see you in real life,” Nikki said softly in her sweet voice. I didn’t believe her, I didn’t believe I looked as good as this painting depicted me. I spoke my mind.

“I am not as good-looking as that! I am not that handsome.” Nikki shot me a cold look.

“Well your wrong, you are that handsome. Everybody says that. I say the same, even though you always tell me I’m pretty.” She responded. Her cold look turned into a sweet smile. An innocent smile.

     Nikki and myself both loved to write. As I said before, we were both interested in literature. I was slightly better at writing than her, we both knew that. We both encouraged the pursue of each other interests, and we both gave each other advice and often we took the advice. One humid Tuesday evening, we both sat in her bedroom reading Romeo and Juliet, we had to read it anyway at school during our English lessons. So we thought we would read it in our free time, to get a good understanding of it. Our assignment was to review William Shakespeare’s ability to put light against darkness in the characters in Romeo and Juliet. We did our assignment and we both got a good grade, an ‘A’ in fact. Me and Nikki spent most of our time together, we both had a close circle of friends but we always saw each other very often. We spent most of our weekends together, once we went to a chicken farm, for some reason, and we saw the killing of chickens that were ready for distribution to local supermarkets. We saw some farmer bringing out three chickens from the shed and he was holding them by the necks, one chicken in one hand and two in the other. Of course the chickens did not look too comfortable, neither would anyone else when they were being suspended about 5ft in the air by their necks. The farmer put two of the chickens in a cage that rested on large worktop, he pinned the other chicken down on the worktop and with one clean twist, the chickens neck snapped. Nikki looked away in disgust but for some reason I managed to look. I felt able to withstand the sight of this.

     I don’t really remember why we went to this farm as thirty minutes after the chicken killing, I was knocked unconscious. As far a I can remember, me and Nikki were leaving the farm. This muscle head was coming in the other direction. Me and Nikki were walking down the dirt road when this guy, no more than 16 years old, purposefully shoulder barged me. Knocking me off my feet.

“Watch were your going, dickhead!” He said aggressively, standing over me. Nikki rushed to me to see if I was ok.

“I’m fine.” I told her, she helped me up. The muscle head started to walk off. Me and Nikki started to walk again.

“Jerk.” I whispered under my breath. Next thing I know there was a sharp pain in the back of my neck, it was a shattering blow. I realised that this blow was inflicted by the muscle man. He had obviously heard me. The punch spun me a little, and I came face-to-face with the man, just as I saw his fist heading for my head. Another sharp blow hit me on the jaw, I fell to the floor, the last thing I heard was Nikki screaming.