Such is life

I fell ages ago, blah blah, have to get physio and had a choice of five Medical Centres to have my appointment. Four were at 'nice' addresses. One was quite near my house. I suppose it made more sense to go there, instead of any unnecessary travelling.

9am ..

I'm having a lovely walk up the main road. It's such a sense of freedom not to be going to work for a few weeks. Although, l could do without all the pain. But you learn to cope as best you can. At least l'm still comparatively young. All those poor, old souls with their gammy legs, dodgy hips and all that ice we had! Hope folk helped out. (I do bloomin' nothing at all. Pretend l didn't see that old neighbour of mine) My mind was on the bleak stuff. Again.

Crossing the busy road, l thought l'd pop in to get some more gas on my card. Greedy bugger, that gas card. Gobbles up 30 quid a week. I suppose as l've stopped drinking wine, that cancels out that, really. That cheered me up.

'scuse me but are you goin' in tha' shoap'.

A lovely looking young boy was standing outside one of those newsagents that open at 7am. He had a school tie on. When he spoke, l noticed his teeth were all rotten. It shocked me. He's too young for all that plaque stuff.

'Yeah, why?'

He looked really sweet, dark hair, perfect face, but he was hard as nails. It was so judgemental of me, and l felt as if l was a hundred years older than him.

'Am needin' fags, dawl'

He thrust a tenner at me, but l stepped aside. Then l started babbling about health, an' waste of money an' all the time, l wanted to scream at him 'DON'T WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE. GO TO SCHOOL. YOU'LL REGRET IT'.

I felt so shocked. Where was his mum, why were the police not there, to monitor the shopkeeper?

The folk inside went out and shooed him away, but l was mixed up for telling on him. It wasn't in a grassing way, it was more of an 'omg, guess what's just happened'.

After my hour at physio, the lad was still there. He'd been joined by two young girls. Blimey. I couldn't wait to get out of there. Scary stuff. Boobs hingin' out, those cheap, see-through leggings complete with camel toe, fake tan, fake hair, fake Gucci.

' Fur fucksake, am no goan ti tha' fuckin' dump yi call school. Cummoan. Ma ma's oot! Av goa' a free hoose ..'

Those young kids, bright and full of energy, but no future, just a quick shudder, then another baby pops out.

Here's a bus. Good, my escape. This place is far too depressing. Boy, am l glad l'm nearly one of those creaky pensioners ..