Madferit

Maybe I Don't Really Want to Know

I saw two shadow men on the Vallance Road

Said they'd pay me for your address

Oh I was so bold

London was everything I imagined it would be. Even when the British lady from back home said it was nothing but a big city...I suppose she was right. But it was the big city I'd been waiting my whole life to finally visit.

I saw the sights everyone recommended. The popular things the Triple A brochures were sure to mention. The stuff my cousin told me about when she'd gone across the pond just a few years prior.

But now I was onto something else. Something that wasn't the biggest thing I'd fallen in love with but knew I still had to see.

The alley was covered in graffiti. Spray painted song lyrics and pictures of band members spread across the walls from one end to the other. I was in awe...even though I didn't know too much about the group.

I had their CDs though but had never seen them live. Unless watching them on David Letterman counted. I think there might've been an issue with them touring in the States. Something to do with drugs or maybe I just assumed that's why they hadn't spent any real amount of time there.

So, it came as no surprise I had to travel to London to see them up close. Or their memories at least. They'd broken up. Pete stole from Carl and couldn't keep off the smack. Two albums and a few music videos was all we had left to enjoy.

I stared at some black and blue letters splashed across the bricks in front of me. I mulled over the message: it was a lyric I didn't know but it still made perfect sense.

"What's a pretty girl like you doin' in a place like this?" A voice asked making me jump.

I turned to my left and saw a man standing there. He had big thick eyebrows and gentle blue eyes. "Sightseeing." I told him.

He scrunched those eyebrows curiously. "By yourself?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"So how d'ya reckon London?" He inquired.

"I love it." I replied. "How 'bout you?"

"Oh yeah. It's mega. I've lived here for years now and-"

"Where are you from?"

"Manchester. Up north." He pointed in the direction.

"Oh." I nodded agreeably.

His accent was definitely different than any I'd heard since my arrival in London. Thicker maybe. Much stronger than any Cockney who spoke in front of me.

He smiled a little. "So what ya make of this graffiti?" He waved at the wall in front of us.

I stared at it. "It's cool. Way different than anything back home."

"And where's home?" He inquired.

"Not here." I shook my head. I felt the corners of my mouth rise up as I thought happily about the lyrics I was reading. "I like this." I pointed at them before stepping away.

"Hang on!" He called as he jogged up behind me.

I stopped and turned around to wait while he caught up.

"Where ya goin'?" He sounded slightly out of breath.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What's it matter to you?" I asked.