The Unadulterated Life

Clouds

This story begins like any other. On an ordinary day. The sun shining and the world oblivious to what is about to happen. It all happened at 12:58am on a Thursday morning. He was brought into the world like any other child, but it was once he arrived things got out of hand. It was as his mother held him after birth did she notice his heart wasn't beating. She started to panic. "His heart isn't beating!!" She yelled at the midwife. "My baby boy's heart isn't beating!" Through the tears she watch as they rushed him away. Despite the heat from the summer breeze rushing through the open window, she felt the room grow cold. This is when she noticed the ghost of her late uncle sitting in the chair beside her. "He is too young." He told her. "He is too young for me to take. I'll make sure he doesn't leave this earth before his time is up." With that he disappeared.

Still sobbing and filled with shock she looks up as the nurses walk back in holding a bundle of blankets. "Someone is waiting to see you" the nurses say to his mother as they hand over the bundle. She wipes the tears from her face before accepting her son. For the first time in her life she felt a sense of pride that she managed to produce such a wonderful child. With his blue eyes looking exactly like his grandfather's. "Has he arrived yet?" She asks the nurses. Wondering what has happened to her partner she rang before leaving for the hospital. "We haven't seen him yet Margaret but we will let u know when he is here".

Two days had past since little Horatio was born and still no sign of his father. Margaret orders a taxi to take her and her new son home. The taxi drove them from Melbourne CBD all the way out to Carrum where Margaret lived with her Partner Timothy. As she carries the bassinet and the bag through the front door she smells something familiar. The same smell that has been costing her most of her wage. Marg leaves her son by the front door to open the windows in the lounge to air out the house. This is where she fines Timothy passed out on the couch with a needle in his arm. "So this is were you have fucking been while I've been in hospital giving birth to our fucking child!" Marg shouts at Timothy as she hits him with a pillow. As you guys can already guess this isn't the best place for a newborn to be, but you can't exactly choose where you end up.

A few weeks pass before the money starts to get low. Margaret wants to get back to work but she doesn't feel comfortable leaving Horatio at home with Timothy. "Oi" Marg says as she nudges Tim with her foot. "I'm going to work", Tim grunts in response. "Pathetic" Marg mumbles as she picks up the carrier and starts the 3 km journey to the day care Horatio starts at. Each day after Marg drops Horatio off at the day care she hikes another 2.5km to the train station so she can start her day. She works full time at a medical centre only earning $19.48 an hour. Most of the money she earns gets taken by Tim to fuel his next high. What's left goes towards food for Horatio and 2 minute noodles for herself and Tim.