Danny “the promising kid” was never to forget that day at the bicycle sheds.
It was snowing and his mother appeared out of nowhere, holding a pair of Earmuffs.
“Danny! What do you think you’re doing out here in this kind of weather with no earmuffs? I told you to take them with you this morning! You are not a Russian Soldier so don’t you play the brave boy!”
Giving in as he put those wolly earmuffs on, he never imagined what consequences not standing up to mothering would bring immediately.
As the woman Left in a hurry and nodding, his friends carried on smoking
“You need earmuffs kid or your mummy won’t breastfeed you tonight!”
Like flying gossip, the scene would be heard of even among the younger classes. End of “promising Danny”. No friends left, bullying on Facebook and catching bad habits at home, where he hid like a headgehog.
The school’s drug dealer pretended to be his only friend and got him into weed.
His mother was too busy with work and Charity work, devoted to saving the world but having ” aborted” her 15 year-old.
Danny eventually fled the nest to find himself homeless in London.
Homeless, but Popular. His family had been told not to launch a missing persons campaign because in this case it could make Danny more vulnerable.
For three years he had established his ” begging spot” near Victoria station and lived by the day. He had even gained himself a name among the Eastern European mafias who charged for protection in the area.
But one day while he was eighteen and didn’t even know his own age, a lady with a familiar voice slammed a coffee.
“Here’s a coffee drink for Christmas. Your ears look frozen. ”
A burning cup of coffee and a hand spitting diamonds.
As their eyes met, the charity freak recognised her own son, a man now, with wise and reproachful eyes. She felt vertigo in his gaze.
” Maybe I need a pair of earmuffs ” he said in a gentle, controlled voice.
She knelt down not to faint, took as much strength from her motherhood as she could and cried
“Danny, I’m so happy I found you. I will never have enough words to express how sorry I am, because you left your Facebook account open and I found out about the bullying…. please take my hand. Please. Good. Your ears are frozen. Your room is waiting for you and dad needs help with the business. It’s your nineteenth birthday on Sunday. Dad will sort out some help with the weed thing only if you want to. And all your schoolfriends have a group called “Find Danny M” which I follow.”
As passers by were leaving the last coins Danny would be to gather, he picked up his rucksack, not wanting in any way to lose his very precious sleeping bag, and followed his mum to the car.
It smelt the same. An Eastern mafia boss took note of the unusual scene as he got arrested again two minutes later.
“Mum. It’s so lovely and warm in here. Can I smoke some weed?”
“You can, son, but only if it’s for medical purposes.”
“I won’t then.”
And he threw his little bag out of the window to a fellow homeless friend who was waving goodbye at him.
The End.
