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Dan's Life Lessons.
The alarm clock ticked slowly towards 06:40am, Dan sat up in his bed his room felt colder than usual, he could see the breath he had expelled from his nose.
He shivered, yawned and rubbed his eyes, his mother bellowed up to him " breakfast is ready" Dan quickly got washed and dressed in his hand me down school uniform, which was two sizes to big for him. He went down stairs and walked into the usual cold damp kitchen.
Dan's mother was stood at the sink in her old grey overcoat and curlers washing up in cold dirty water. She always had a roll up hanging out her mouth, Dan couldn't work out how his mother could afford to smoke but not pay the electricity bill.
Dan sat at the table on an old apple crate, in front of him laid a bowl of cold lumpy porridge, he thought about throwing it away but he knew this might be the only meal he had today , so he ate it quickly.
The clock ticked towards 7:00am, Dan gave his mother a peck on the cheek and walked towards the door, she turned towards Dan and said in her strictest voice " remember Dan! straight home and no messing around" " yes mum" Dan replied .
He opened the door and walked outside, it was grey and wet but oddly enough it felt warmer than it did in his house. Dan had to walk the long way around to school because he'd be told to avoid long lane by his mother. She once told him " that's where the local gangs hang out, and if your face doesn't fit you'll get it, this had stuck in Dan's mind ever since.
Dan approached the school gates just as the bell rang, Mr.Jackson shouted " Come on slow coach, don't get detention again you little urchin"! Dan's head dropped as he scurried past Mr. Jackson into the school building.
Dan realised his first lesson was physical education with Mr.Trench and he then noticed his white vest, baggy shorts and torn smelly trainers hadn't been washed infact they hadn't been washed in weeks, this first lesson of the day was going to be a nightmare and Dan knew it.
In the warm brightly lit gymnasium Dan stood against the wallbars in his dirty p.e kit. As the lesson continued the smell of his trainers and kit began to get worse and Dan felt embarrassed.
Mr.Trench had noticed the smell, blew his whistle and bought a halt to the lesson and made everyone line up so he could inspect their kits. as he walked down the line Dan could feel his face getting more red.
Mr.Trench stopped infront of Dan, pulled himself up to his full height, took a deep breath and almost turned green. He turned to his left hand side and shouted in his broad welsh accent " You smelly little urchin, go and get the medicine ball and hold it above your head, until the end of the lesson " Dan did as he was told, he could feel the tears swelling up in his eyes, but he was determined not to cry.
The bell rang for the end of the lesson, Dan dropped the ball with such a bang that everyone jumped, he was glad the lesson was over for at least another week.
As Dan walked diwn the corridor he could smell boiled cabbage and fish, his stomach rumbled he was so hungry but he knew he would have to go without dinner yet again, life was so unfair but at least he was alive not like his brother, who died at the age 10 from a bad case of bronchial pneumonia caused by the dampness and fungi growing on the walls in the house.
Dinner came and went and now Dan found himself in Miss Cleggs class, she taught history and he wasn't looking forward to it, because he was always acting stupid and almost getting a detention which at this moment in time he couldn't afford to do , because that would lead to a whole lot of other problems.
(from the works of Jason Carr)
© Jaycarr1971
He shivered, yawned and rubbed his eyes, his mother bellowed up to him " breakfast is ready" Dan quickly got washed and dressed in his hand me down school uniform, which was two sizes to big for him. He went down stairs and walked into the usual cold damp kitchen.
Dan's mother was stood at the sink in her old grey overcoat and curlers washing up in cold dirty water. She always had a roll up hanging out her mouth, Dan couldn't work out how his mother could afford to smoke but not pay the electricity bill.
Dan sat at the table on an old apple crate, in front of him laid a bowl of cold lumpy porridge, he thought about throwing it away but he knew this might be the only meal he had today , so he ate it quickly.
The clock ticked towards 7:00am, Dan gave his mother a peck on the cheek and walked towards the door, she turned towards Dan and said in her strictest voice " remember Dan! straight home and no messing around" " yes mum" Dan replied .
He opened the door and walked outside, it was grey and wet but oddly enough it felt warmer than it did in his house. Dan had to walk the long way around to school because he'd be told to avoid long lane by his mother. She once told him " that's where the local gangs hang out, and if your face doesn't fit you'll get it, this had stuck in Dan's mind ever since.
Dan approached the school gates just as the bell rang, Mr.Jackson shouted " Come on slow coach, don't get detention again you little urchin"! Dan's head dropped as he scurried past Mr. Jackson into the school building.
Dan realised his first lesson was physical education with Mr.Trench and he then noticed his white vest, baggy shorts and torn smelly trainers hadn't been washed infact they hadn't been washed in weeks, this first lesson of the day was going to be a nightmare and Dan knew it.
In the warm brightly lit gymnasium Dan stood against the wallbars in his dirty p.e kit. As the lesson continued the smell of his trainers and kit began to get worse and Dan felt embarrassed.
Mr.Trench had noticed the smell, blew his whistle and bought a halt to the lesson and made everyone line up so he could inspect their kits. as he walked down the line Dan could feel his face getting more red.
Mr.Trench stopped infront of Dan, pulled himself up to his full height, took a deep breath and almost turned green. He turned to his left hand side and shouted in his broad welsh accent " You smelly little urchin, go and get the medicine ball and hold it above your head, until the end of the lesson " Dan did as he was told, he could feel the tears swelling up in his eyes, but he was determined not to cry.
The bell rang for the end of the lesson, Dan dropped the ball with such a bang that everyone jumped, he was glad the lesson was over for at least another week.
As Dan walked diwn the corridor he could smell boiled cabbage and fish, his stomach rumbled he was so hungry but he knew he would have to go without dinner yet again, life was so unfair but at least he was alive not like his brother, who died at the age 10 from a bad case of bronchial pneumonia caused by the dampness and fungi growing on the walls in the house.
Dinner came and went and now Dan found himself in Miss Cleggs class, she taught history and he wasn't looking forward to it, because he was always acting stupid and almost getting a detention which at this moment in time he couldn't afford to do , because that would lead to a whole lot of other problems.
(from the works of Jason Carr)
© Jaycarr1971
