Chasing Our Dreams [f.a]

Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne

~ AGE 5 ~

SUMMER CAMP, ITALY

''Sweety, hurry up! We are going to be late!'' my mother was yelling from downstairs.

Well, I wanted to be late. I wished the group leave without me. I didn't wanted to go.

''I'm coming, mom!'' I answered, picking up my backpack. I was ready for the summer trip to Italy. Well, I was all packed, but I wasn't ready. I have never been anywhere out of England, and there were my parents, sending me three weeks always from home, to spend summer with kids in Italy.

That was my problem. There are going to be other children there. I wasn't good at making friends.

Meet five year old me. My name is London Patricia Matthis, I am from Wolverhampton, England. Yes, my name is London, and my parents were high on whatever they high on were at the time I was born, so they named me after a city. I was supposed to be named Patricia, after my grandmother, but when my mother held me for the first time, and my father saw my squished face, they came up with an awesome idea. They decided to name me after the city I was conceived in.

My parents were dating for couple of months when they went on a road trip to London. They had some good time there, they've been visiting a lot of pubs, probably smoked too much of what they shouldn't have and they came back home with a present. My mum found out she going to have a baby. They were so thrilled that their first idea was abortion, but luckily for me, my grandma, Patricia, didn't approved.

For some reason they changed their minds and I ended up being named London, and my lovely grandma's name ended up as being my middle name. Well, I wish I had normal parents, but I don't. That's my luck.

I have two younger sisters, both named after cities they were conceived in. God, my parents liked to travel every now and then and leave me with their parents. They did it so many time, but just twice they came back home with another baby on the way.

Dublin is little more than two years younger than me, and Paris was born that summer. And I was leaving to Italy to try and socialize a little bit. I was about to start school that September, and my only friend was Bob the cat I adopted from the street.

When I go back to that time now, I see a confused little girl holding her backpack as she was holding on for her dear life. It was my first time leaving home, my first time flying a plane and my first time I will spend without my only friend. Yes, my only friend was a cat, but he liked my drawings. He liked me, and I liked him.

Other kids, however, didn't like me. They would tease me all the time. For that, I blamed my parents. They were the one name me after our Capital City, and they were the one to scar me for life. I've tried couple of times to fit in, but every time I would come home crying. And my mum and dad would push me into that situation again and again.

And there I was, looking trough the window, watching the clouds go by, wondering if there, in Italy, would be a kid who will want to be my friend.

''Don't come home without making at least one friend.'' my mum was specific. I, however, was petrified. 

 ***

I will remember my first time at the beach forever. It is my favorite memory.

The sand was so warm, I felt like my feet were burning. My heart was pounding. The sea was bright and clear, water was warm. I didn't know how to swim, but I was promised I will learn to. It was my first day away from home, and I wasn't doing so well at making friends. I spent the whole trip looking through the window, trying to ignore couple other kids that came with me from England. They were mean, and they called me names. I wanted to tell everyone that my name was Patricia, so they don't tease me for my actual name. But the lady that was suppose to bring us to Italy, told everyone that my name is London. My only hope were kids from other parts of the world.

Maybe they don't know where London is. Or even what it was.

''Ola'' a little boy sat next to me. He dug his feet into the sand.

''Hi.'' I replied. I wondered what he was doing there with me.

''Cual es tu nombre?'' he said. I didn't understand a word from it.

''I don't understand you. I speak only English.'' I said to him. He had dark hair, and skin darker than mine.

''Ingles. Mi papa... Say - I learn - Ingles.'' he was trying to speak English.

''You have to learn English here?'' I looked up to him. ''I have to make friends. What is your name?''

''Mi... My name e Fernando.'' he smiled.

''I am London.'' I decided not to lie.

***

Three weeks went by in a blink of an eye. I've been spending most of my time with Fernando. We learned together how to swim, he was teaching me Spanish, I was his English teacher. He told me how he is racing cart series, and how one day, he will become a champion.

''I be a campeon. Formula Uno.'' he was still struggling with his English.

''You're English is horrible. I will draw you a helmet.'' I replied.

''Tu eres mi mejor amigo. My best friend - you, London.'' Fernando gave me his best smile.

''Si. You... Tu - mio. You are mine. Are we going to be friends when we leave home?'' I was petrified again. Finally, I have found myself a friend and I wanted to keep him forever.

''Amigos para siempre, tu y yo. I write you a carta.'' he moved his hand trying to explain the word. 

''Letter. All the time.'' I was sad to leave him.

Our teacher called us in. It was our last day in camp, we were about to leave home that evening. She helped me pack my things, I was the youngest of all children there.  We sat in one big circle, and we were about to say our good byes.

''Every one of you that has made a friend here, raise your hands.'' she said. I looked to Fernando, smiling and me and raising his hand high. I did the same.

''Now each and every one of you, take a piece of paper and write something about your friend. Something you think he or she will become. Predict their future. And keep that paper for yourself. If you stay friends and your prediction comes true, show it to them.'' our teacher gave us instruction.

Without any thinking, I wrote one simple sentence on my paper with my childish handwriting. Fernando had a huge smile on his face.

That's when I knew we will stay friends after camp. I was only five years old, but I knew that he was the one person I never wanted to lose.

He became my first friend.. The most valuable and important person I have ever had in my entire life.

I found my person when I was five and I promised to God that I would do anything not to lose him.