thirty day challenge

my family

10. Your family

my family... *sighs*

i live with only my mum, so if you guys mean "immediate" family and stuff, it will be quite a short list.

my dad's (as well as the rest of my paternal side are) out of the picture, so to speak. my parents were never married and so there was never any divorce, but my parents aren't together. they split when i was a baby, when my mum took me back to England (we lived in the US for a bit with my father, who was American). i guess you could say my mum ran away from him. from what i've heard, he sounds like a dick and so i'm glad we're away from that life now (even if we would've had a tonne more money if we'd stayed). but i don't remember my father - or, at least i don't think i do: i have a vague memory of me and this guy at a playground when i was around three years old (although we left when i was a baby, the court made sure i had - sometimes supervised - "visits" with my dad), so i'm guessing it may have been him in that memory. but, anyway, i've heard that he used to sleep around, be nasty to my grandparents, sleep with a knife and just shitty stuff like that, so he's not really the best of role-models. he used to send me birthday cards and presents, but he no longer does - maybe because i'd refuse to play with the dolls he'd send or read the cards he'd posted. or, maybe he just doesn't care.

OH NO, WAIT! I DO REMEMBER HIM! i have this memory of a visit, where there was a small yellow shopping trolley (of course, it was a play-thing) and these baby dolls. i remember playing with them with him and my - maybe - my grandma.

oh, and, i have a half brother called Alex, but i've never met him cos he lives in the US...

My mother hasn't dated (at least, i don't think so) since we left my father. i'm very close to her, although i don't tell her as much as i used to - there are just some things you don't tell your parents, and for me, that number of 'things' has grown. but we still love each other as much and stuff... my mum's currently struggling with work and money, but she volunteers a lot at children hospitals and shelters. my mum's really generous and an inspiration to me. she isn't the smartest of people, but the wisdom  she has gathered from experience is great. sometimes, however, we get into really big arguments, as we're both short-tempered, so that's not good. sometimes, it gets really bad and she starts calling me names and really horrible stuff, and it hurts. but, i try cope with that. i guess that's why i try to be so happy and so carefree and so crazy at school and with my friends. but my mum is still so amazing and she's worked so fucking hard for herself and her family, and i love her so much for it. <3

[wow. i'm writing a lot. sorry. it's just i've never written about this stuff and it's all pouring out, but i'm going to try and cut it down and leave a little mystery to me ;)]

my maternal grandparents live a few miles away, so i'm lucky with that compared to most people, who have grandparents who live on the other side of the country or even the globe. my grandparents (who are both Indian) aren't very physically strong. my grandfather is very ill and has been in and out of hospital constantly. he's had so many operations, and now because of that, he can't have any more. yesterday, in front of me, he said to my mum and her friend (this was in the midst of a very...sophisticated conversation), "there's no cure for me. i'm very ill, and where there're cures for other people with my illness, there aren't any for me. i've had too many operations, and so if i receive any treatment, that will be 'it'...". i had to leave the room, otherwise i knew i'd start crying and i didn't want to do that in front of my granddad. you see, we're really close and i love him dearly, with all my heart. when he leaves us, i don't know how i'll cope.

my grandma works so much, though. she has arthritis, yet she works night and day to look after her husband, my grandfather. she looks after everyone in my family and has always supported my mum and i, especially in times of need or when we have needed money for education (not that i go to a private school) or art materials or programmes or even school uniform (trust me, mine is very expensive)... my grandma is such a hard-worker and  such an inspiration to me.

[god. writing this is almost making me cry. shit.]

[are you guys even reading all this?]

my uncle moved to Leeds like a year ago so, unfortunately, i rarely see him. my two aunts fell out (idk why) so they don't speak and i hardly see the youngest one (who's twins with my uncle). but on Mother's Day this year, my eldest aunt got into an argument with my mum and since then, they haven't really talked and it's really awkward for me when i'm at my grandparents' and my aunt comes along unexpectedly. but i still love her. she's really smart and shares my passion for reading. yet, she can be really bitchy about her own family, which, obviously, isn't nice.

oh, and, i've never had a pet.. :(

being Indian, i've got a huge family, but i'm closest to the people i've mentioned above. and cos it's 10pm already and i have school tomorrow, even though i'm ill, i'm gonna leave it at that. plus, i've already written like a tonne-and-a-half. so, see ya tomorrow gwuys! <3