Hippie Haven

As I opened my eyes a young traveller girl was standing staring deep into my eyes. It was my mother. She had closely hennaed hair it was practically shaven, baggy blue jeans and a skin tight top so tight it could of stop the blood circulation. Close up her eyes was an inhumanly red wearing contacts obviously, but it had the effect of annoying hay fever that sufferers may get in the early days of June. “Mum really you?” I said stunned that it all happened on my 14th Birthday

A fat salty tear rolled down my cheek but my mum wiped it with coconut scented tissues. Everything was ok. “Happy Birthday” She said grinning. My mum left me and my dad to live a life travelling. When I turned 5 I got a postcard from Hawaii Honolulu with touchy-feely fake grass attached as a ‘grass skirt’ feel on the pretty Caribbean cartoony girl. The next year a postcard from The Highlands in Loch Ness in Scotland, it had Nessie on it smiling at me with googly stuck on eyes. The rest of the years were a miscellaneous variety of gifts.

My dad started quarrelling with my mum. “Linda! You cannot come into our lives for Mel’s Birthday and hurry on back. You can’t hurt us again it’s not right! Not fair!” He starts. But in a way he is right. I dread when she has to leave us again leave us hurt. I haven’t been hoping she’d be leaving so soon. “I am here and everything is ok its Mel’s birthday and everything is perfect.” My mum shot back defensively, That sparked off world war 3. “After half an hour of ranting and swearing I teetered upstairs

The next morning I rocked about in my bed nightmares rocked inside my head.

In the dream mum and dad was both married together again but they was smoking weed. Slowly mum leant over with a hand rolled cannabis cigarette and offered me one. I shook with shock and fear of what to do. “Go on honey have a try!” she ushered putting the illegal drug into my hands. Waking up I was all sweaty and red as a beetroot, the clock said 10:54 that means mum had gone. Sad a pity didn’t say goodbye. I scurried downstairs to the aroma of eggs and bacon. My mum hurried down the stairs with a floral suitcase she hadn’t left yet. A chance to say goodbye. “Oh hi Mel sorry honey got to go my van needs to be at New Deli, India by 4pm!” she said hurrying downstairs but stopped. My dad was taking the rubbish out. “Maybe...Mel? Do you want to come with me?” she asked generously. My mouth dropped. Me in India chilling with the hippies? “Oh my gosh! Yes I would!” I said hurrying quickly to pack. I ran upstairs Mum at my feet. I looked at my dressing table. Kirby grips, bobbles, pretty clips, hairbands. Almost all at once I plummeted them in my backpack and suitcase. I opened my wardrobe packing a load of summery clothes and pretty sari’s and shoved nail varnish file hair dryer pretty bands rubber bands, balloons, my favourite converse shoes and doc martens.

“Mel! You’re going to a festival! No electricity no hair dryer! Seriously” Mum said packing it all into a pink suitcase and heading out the door to the pink van with hippie decorations of something my Nan would wear. "Come on sweet pea, we're off to India" mum explained. "But its that far!" I said scared

"Its not far enough"

As we were driving down to the end of london to where the ferry goes for paris and I was feeling a little sluggish after about 7 mars bars and 2 cans of Lilt. 

"about a quarter of the way there now hun!" my mum said excitedly. "a quarter?" I shot back really stunned that it would take that long "You might want to go get some sleep, Grab some pillows and a quilt from the boot as we stop of at the service station" I overlooked the station. It had some paint peeling of the walls a faintly smell of pee ranked the place and there was toliet paper lining the outside a bit. I started to wince but at least we were not nearly but an inch there, Lying down on the tassled and beaded pillows with a washed out Glastonbury ticket from ten years ago.