My Kids and I. (Unedited)

5

The temperature dropped, it was practically freezing which was understandable seeing that it was autumn, though my mind did race over the possibilities of dying during winter because pneumonia.

Leaving Alicia, was rough she was my only friend in this city and also because I forgot the way back, it is true that I have been living off the road for three weeks but, that wasn't enough time to actually know about a place or country I didn't know much about.

I was a foreigner in this city, originally I was born in the middle of the ocean, my family were on vacation sailing on the seven seas and I popped. My mother said, I popped beneath a thousand beautiful stars, were there wasn't a moon in sight and I guess that's were I got my name. I grew up on three different locations, Paris, Italy and lastly Ukraine. We owned 18 houses in different countries, to which my family barely used only 10. I saw this as a waste of money and saw my parents as selfish people, they spent all their money on things they don't need, instead of helping people who desperately need what we own.

"Where are you from?"

I squealed, turning around as I came face to face with a grumpy old man, his beige angle long coat looked dirty and was torn, so where his pants and lastly his shoes that were torn on the side. "Don't scare me like that!" I scolded, and out of the cart he pushed jumped a vibrant husky puppy, with beautiful blue-grayish eyes, similar to Alicia's ones. "Hello there, Peppa!" I crouched down, picking up the tiny puppy the smile on my face dropped as I watched it shiver like never before, that was understandable seeing tonight was a cold night. Walking towards the cart, I picked up a blanket and wrapped myself and the puppy in it.

"I went to see Alicia's workplace, meet her coworkers who are her friends." I answered his question, as we walked together heading back to our alley. "But?" He asked.

"They didn't like me Simon. They called me names and treated me how everyone else treated me, Alicia did stand up for me but that make me fe-"

"This is why I hate living with women." Simon rolled his eyes, turning left once we reached an intersection, I followed behind because I just didn't know where I was going, I was lucky I met Simon. "You love talking about feelings, you cry about it and you never do a thing about it. You told me you know mixed martial arts, so why didn't beat them for disrespecting you?"

"I'm pregnant, and besides you just hate living with human beings. But, it's cute and creepy that you love animals, I never thought a grumpy old man would love animals?" I laughed, as his cheeks turned pink, he grumbled looking the other way. Adverting my attention to something else other than fighting concept, was good. Fighting back broke my family apart and it's the sole reason why I'm here in the first place.

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Three months later

It's been exactly three months since I last saw Alicia, I was kinda sad about and it did begin to trouble the old gizzard I live with. As ever, struggling for food was hard on both him and I, so much so I've began begging on the streets for food, along the way there would be good hearted people who would give me $100 and there were others who would spit in my face, kick me away like a stray dog and some would hit me, in fact a lot would hit me.

I've grown enormous, over the past months and I've been adjusting to this life I now live. Though, this isn't what I would want for my child and that is why, after giving birth I would like to send him or her into an orphanage and truly keep an eye on my baby. I want to see my baby grow, even if I'm not there, I want to know that I'll forever love it but due to some circumstances I wasn't able to take care of him or her it will be tough leaving my baby behind but, what can I do?

"Hello sir, can I please have a coin for bread. I'm starving." I begged, the man who drove in a classy Mercedes, the model I couldn't care less but all I know was that it was expensive but, it was hardly a thing to the cars my mother owns. "No!" He yelled, spitting on my face before he drove off, once the traffic lights turned green. Sighing I walked back to the pavement, people instantly distancing themselves from me as they waited for the traffic light to turn red.

Tears, streamed down my face as I used my torn and dirty blouse to wipe the saliva of that man. A few seconds later the lights turned red, I walked towards the grey Toyota Corolla. Approaching the rolled down window, I asked as tears streamed down my face, "Hello sir, can I please have a few coins for bread?" I cried, my eyes fixed at my scarred, boil filled and lastly dirty feet.

"Of course dear." He smiled, taking out a few notes along with some coins. I smiled, bowing my head before I backed away, as the traffic lights changed color. With a smile on my face, I continued begging for money, despite the insults I got I couldn't stop, I just couldn't knowing I had myself, Simon and Peppa to feed.

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"Simon I'm back." I called, out of the dark alley jumped a happy little puppy, she has grown and she now has an enormous appetite for food so I have to work more harder.

"Hello Peppa." I greeted, patting her cute little head before I walked towards Simon, who had his blanket tightly wrapped around him while he coughed and sneezed. The fever he has had for the past week, still didn't fade but that would change because I finally made enough money to buy him medication and food for us to eat.

"How do you feel?" I asked, going down on my knees as I placed my forehead against his, he is worse than before. Sighing I took out the now warm chicken soup, along with some garlic bread and a bottle of water.
"Open your mouth Simon." I pleaded, opening the little container of the soup, dipping bread in the warm soup I brought it to his chapped lips. He took a sniff of the food before taking a bite of it.

"I'm not a kid, you don't have to feed me!" He growled, I rolled my eyes at this man, feeding him the chicken soup and the bread before handing him his medication and a bottle of water, "Peppa, come here girl! It's time for you to eat." I chuckled, as she quickly got on her feet and practically ran towards me, I guess my little girl was hungry.

Opening the plastic bag I brought along with me, I took out medium rare steak which came with gravy that was suitable for dogs to eat. Her tail wiggled as I opened the plastic container, placing down the container she pounced on the meat first, tearing it to shreds, satisfying her hunger.
Not once, would I eat unless Peppa or Simon ate, other than that we'd all just starve and wait for the next meal to come.

"Were did you get the money?" Simon asked, I shrugged eating the fried rice and chicken I got for myself, "Today was a good day, I met countless people who gave me money, I practically made $936.67c. I now have 500 left." I answered, reasoning being I bought medication as well as food that could last us for two days, seeing we would eat about three times a day.

"That's good."

"I was thinking of borrowing your trolley tomorrow." I said, taking a bite of the chicken, its taste was kinda bland but I'm grateful I have something to eat today. "Why?"

"There are so many cans, bottles and boxes I could take to the recycling dump and they'll give me money. With my begging and recycling thing, we will be able to share a place with someone in a rundown building, I'll get a few clothes, take a bath and with my qualifications I can get a job as a doctor or if I'm lucky they might want me to be lecturer in med school."

"If I say yes, will you shut up and go to sleep, Nightlight?"

"First of all its Twilight and second, you're a rude old man, even if you're sick and lastly yes." I whispered out the 'yes',  "Let us do this, we might go days without food just so we'll be able to move out of this place, but bare with me Simon."

"I'm not old."

"Is that all you got from what I said?"

"I trust you Nightlight, now sleep." He groaned, I smiled to myself wrapping Peppa with her own blanket before I snuggled in with Simon. Not in a romantic type of way but the father and daughter type of way, it was nice seeing that, I never did this with my dad.

"Remove your hand from my face Nightlight!"