Ricky Wilson Scenarios

The Busker

Just another day, stood in this same corner. It must've been close to a year now that I had been coming here. I made the same journey almost every day - getting on the train, getting weird looks because of the massive guitar bag on my back, getting off, doing the ten minute walk to this spot, and setting up.

If I tell people I do busking, they look at me strangely. They think that it's a thing only men do. After all, you don't see many women buskin gone the streets. But when you have no real job, and this is your only talent, sometimes it's the only way. Even if it isn't the safest on these streets. More than once I'd had my money stolen, and almost every day a man would make a sexist remark to me. You get used to it after a while. You learn to not listen to it.

It was just the same as any other day. I set up my guitar, and began playing like usual. But inside, it was't the same.

Usually I would be happy. I would smile my way through the songs. So many people had commented on my contagious happiness before. It was who I was, and what I was known for. People often came to see me singing on their way to work, and would always say something about my happiness. But today, I just didn't feel happy. Last night, I realised I couldn't keep this up for much longer. I needed somewhere to live that was cheaper than my flat at the moment. I was running out of money. People were giving me less and less money. I wasn't sure how much longer this could go on for. I couldn't fake it anymore. My life was an actual mess.

It hadn't always been like this. A few years back, I was living in a big house, with my parents and my brother. I had just gotten back from uni, and I was staying with them until I could find a place of my own. Then they kicked me out. They said I needed to work out what I wanted to do with my life, and sort myself out. They didn't want me 'sponging' off them anymore. They gave me a day to go, and told me I wasn't welcome back. Yeah, there were more things that lead up to the point where they couldn't stand me, but I didn't want to go into details about them. So much had happened that I didn't even want to think about. There was so much that had gone off in my life. But now I was here.

'Hey Maggie.' One of the women who usually came to watch me at this time said just after I had finished a song. She often came before she went to work, and most days she would give me a fiver. Other days, if she was out on her lunch break, she would buy me some food. She was one of the best people I had met while out doing this. She was always so supportive. If I had a song I hadn't performed before, she would be the first to hear it, and she would always tell me the truth on what she thought. She would tell me if she thought the song didn't suit my voice.

'Hey Sarah.' I said back, putting on a smile. Even if I wasn't happy, I still wanted to try and make other people happy. At least then I would've done something right.

'Everything okay?' She asked. 'You don't seem your usual self.' Of course she would've noticed. She was the person who paid the most attention to me.

'I'm just living through life.' I said. That was the thing I would usually say to people who asked me how things were going. It was the easiest reply. I was just taking each day at a time, and getting through it. I would never know what the next day would bring.

'Here.' Sarah said, handing me a tenner instead of the usual five pounds. 'You look like you need it today.'

'Thanks.' I said, grateful for it. It would feed me for the day, but it wouldn't help pay the rent. But I didn't want to complain. At least I would be able to afford food. I just had to hope other people would still give me money. Maybe today I would get enough to start paying off the money I owed for my rent. I could always live in hope.

I played through my usual songs - the ones that everyone liked, and they got money from loads of people. Then I moved onto the ones I enjoyed the most. I played Never Grow Up by Taylor Swift, while holding back my tears. I loved the song, but I always cried while singing it. Then I moved onto better songs. I played Oh My God by Kaiser Chiefs. That was one that would usually cheer me up. A few people gathered around watching as I played that, so I decided to move onto a different song by them after - Meanwhile Up In Heaven. I knew less people would know it, but I just really wanted to play it.

After I finished it, I bent down to take a swig from my bottle of water. My throat was killing me. Could today get any worse?

I got back up, and stood at my side was a man in a cap and sunglasses. He looked strangely familiar.

'That was really good.' He said to me, smiling.

'Thanks.' I said and smiled back. His voice sounded familiar too. But I couldn't quite place it.

He took his sunglasses off. 'What's someone like you doing here on the street?' He asked.

I could recognise those blue eyes anywhere. They were so familiar to me. And I couldn't believe he was standing right there, telling me I was good. He was Ricky Wilson.

'Oh my god.' I breathed, completely forgetting he had asked me a question.

'Hey,' He said again, laughing.

'It's you.' I said. Wow. Great going, me. I seemed completely unable to say anything other than stating the obvious.

'It's me.' He laughed. 'So, why are you out here busking? You should be performing somewhere better with a voice like that.'

I could feel myself going bright red. People weren't stood around any more, it was just me and Ricky. 'I got kicked out of home, with no job. So...' I raised my arms around me. I didn't know how to explain it. I couldn't even form sentences.

Ricky smiled at me. I couldn't actually believe that he was just stood there.

'You got a phone?' He asked.

I nodded, and grabbed my crappy, smashed iPhone out of my pocket. I couldn't afford to get it repaired. It still worked, it was just a mess.

Ricky grabbed my phone from me and put his number into it.

'Call me at some point, I can get you sorted out. I'm on a label who would like you, and I can help you get sorted with a place.' He said. He dug his hand into his pocket. 'For now, take this.' He said, handing my twenty pounds. 'Call me when you get chance, yeah?'

I nodded. I couldn't stop smiling. 'Thank you.' I said.

I couldn't actually believe what had just happened.