Fleet Street

I wish I lived on Fleet Street with Benjamin Barker and Mrs. Lovett. Fleet street where it always rains and is always dark and gloomy. The rain makes me feel at home.

When I was in the 2nd grade my mom picked me up from school every day. My teacher, Ms. Mcbride, would let my class out onto the playground after the bell rang while she opened up the chain-link fence that led to the row of cars waiting to pick up children. One day, Ms. Mcbride let us out 30 seconds before the bell rang, and opened the fence faster than usual... only by coincidence. I skipped out the gate to the line of cars, scanned the row, searching for my mom and when I realized she wasn't there I began my walk home. My school was not far from my house, maybe two miles. I was 8 years old at the time, and was constantly being lectured by my mom about people who kidnap children. This was right around the time when a couple of girls in California had been taken from their bedrooms. Anyway... I walked home. It was dark and cloudy outside and beginning to sprinkle. When I got home I knocked on the door... no answer. I went around to the backyard and knocked on the glass window... no answer. So, naturally the voice of my mother came into my head, " If there is ever an emergency, go to one of the neighbor's houses"-- we knew all of our neighbors very well. I went to Teri's house. Teri had two children and an older girl, Brittany, that was about 17. I thought Brittany was very, very cool. I played there for two hours, when Teri came outside and told me my mom asked that I come home now.

I walked into my house and saw my mom sitting in the entry room, on the couch with my pooh bear I'd had since I was a child. She proceeded to reprimand me for walking home alone, and not staying to wait for her car. Then she started crying and hugged me explaining how she had been looking for me for hours and was just about to call the police. She was convinced I had been taken.

By that time the storm had rolled completely in and it was pouring outside. Mom and I sat by the front window and drank hot chocolate and watched the storm. I don't remember doing many things with my mom when I was a kid, but that day, I think she really wanted to be with me.