The Lost Memories

Chapter One

THE FIGHT

'But mum! He started it!'

I was sitting in the kitchen with my mum in front of me holding a cane. 

'I don't care! Do you realize how much trouble you have caused?! You were about to be expelled because of your uncivilized behaviour!' said my mum as she caned me. 

'Fighting! How dare you do so!'

Okay. I sound like those trouble kids you meet in school that always end up in the principle's office. How do I introduce myself? My name is Owen Jefferson and I'm 14 this year. Well, soon to be. I'm actually half Asian and half white. My mum is an Asian and my dad is a white, that's what I've heard from the neighbours. My mum refused to talk about him. I have no idea if he is dead or alive... 

Anyways, I have short and really dark brown hair, almost black like my mum's. You know, school rules. Hair must be no longer than the collar or the fringe. I have my dad's sky blue eyes. I'm 1.53 metres tall.

'Look mum. You don't even know the truth behind this fight.'

Here's the story.

It was just a bright at sunny day in  Tursiops Secondary School. I was just sitting under a shady tree, minding my own business eating a peanut butter sandwich. I was alone. No big deal, I'm always alone. No one likes a nobody like me. No one likes a poor boy which wears over size, dirtty hand-me-down uniform. 

After enjoying half of my sandwich, this kid from my class and his gang came up to me. 

'Oh look. What do we have here. Stick boy and his sandwich,' said Ryan as his friends laugh. 

Ryan was that large rich kids in our class which likes to pick on nobodies, like me. He was almost twice my height and size. He was basically a sky scrapper to me. A giant you may call. As I looked up all I see was his heartless black eyes which were about to crush me. 

'So tell me. How did you managed to get such excellent grades? Did you cheat you fatherless boy?'

That's it! He just snapped my strings.

I jumped up and yelled, 'Number one. No one brigs up that topic. Number 2. I may be poorer than you doesn't mean that I'm much more stupid than you!'

I think I just crossed the line. Ryan just punched me in the face and I went flying. My body ached badly.

'What? Quitting already? You're father probably left you because you are hopeless, useless, a nobody.' The crowd began to chant 'fight'.

I got up to my feet and tackled him. The kept punching and I kept dodging. For the fist time, I'm grateful from being small. The fight went on until a teacher showed up. Someone must have called the teacher. 

Ryan, the drama king decided to show off his talent. 

'Ouch! My arm! It hurts!' He started to cry like a baby. 

I didn't dare to protest. I knew that if I protest, no one will join me. No one dare to go against Ryan. The last time someone went against him didn't end up well. More like being flushed. 

So, we were both sent to the principal office due to Ryan's stupid drama.

They called our parents, and my mum and his parents both arrived at the same time. His mum immediately check if her 'little angel' was injured or anything. My mum however, just stood there and look at me in disappointment.

The principal said that I was suspended from school for a week. Seriously, I don't get the point of suspending students due to their bad behavior. It's like giving them a holiday for something that they did wrong.

'I know he started it doesn't mean you have to hit him back! Did you know that your reputation went down? Because of this, you're never getting into a good college. You and your father! No difference! I should have left you in an orphanage when you were younger! Now! Go to your room!' my mother threw the cane on the floor and left without a sight. 

I walked up the stairs filled with anger. How dare she compare to me with my irresponsible father! I went to my room and slam my door, hard. A voice inside my head spoke,

'No one appreciates you here. Why don't you run away? Find a new place and forget this village.'

I thought for a second, maybe running away is a good idea. Wait, no. What about my mum? What's she going to do when I'm gone? 

'Remember earlier when your mother compared you to your father? She doesn't love you. She will never miss you.'

I thought for another second. No on likes me here. What's the point.

I took out my green backpack a stuff some clothing into it. I only have enough money to get some train tickets. I shall get a job in the big city. As I went through my drawers for some loose change, I came across an old photo of my mum and my 7-year-old self. We were both at the park and it was my first time on the swing. I may looked frightened in the picture but my mum was laughing. 

I looked at it one more time and put that photo into my pocket. 

I left a note on the shaky wooden kitchen table. 

 Dear mum,

I'm running away from home. No one here seems to appreciate me. 

From,

Owen.

I look at my broken wooden house, one more time and sigh. This is it. Good bye home. I walked off without saying a word.