The Tokyo Hotel

Chapter 39

Jacks P.O.V.

one year ago

With a content sigh I stroked the green grass below me. It was the start of August, and  the weather was unusually ideal, not too hot like it usually was around this time.

Of course we were in the park right now, the shade of the trees were more refreshing than the stone walls of the Tokyo Hotel.

I was lying down on my back, the fresh fog on the grass creating a wet spot on the back of my shirt, I didn't mind, it actually felt quite nice. My head rested on Mikeys lap, he was playing with my hair a bit.

"You know" I said. "I really do love this place. It's like a completely different world from the neighbourhood around the Tokyo Hotel"

Mikey raised one eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, it's so carefree" I replied. "Whenever I come here... It's like I can breathe again"

Mikey smiled. "You really despise living there don't you?" He said.

"I don't hate the building... Okay, maybe a little, but... It's more that I hate this change" I cringed at my poor attempt at explaining myself.

"What changed?" Mikey asked. "I didn't always live in that hellhole you know" I sighed.

Mikey nodded. "I know, but you were already poor before weren't you?" he asked.

"When we arrived here, obviously, yes... But there was I time we weren't..." my voice trailed off. Thinking about the past stung.

"You lived in Ireland before coming here right?" Mikey asked. "What was it like?"

I sat up straight and leaned on his shoulder instead. "Ireland? It was fine, it wasn't paradise or anything. It was just... Normal I guess. I had a normal life when I was younger" I said.

Mikey had put his arm around my shoulders as I continued telling him my story.

"My life really was just a ordinary kids life. At least untill my dad lost his job... Then things kinda went downhill... I was around six years old at the time I think?..." I continued. Mikey listened quietly, not interrupting me, nor losing interest.

"It just started with selling stuff to get some extra money for electricity and the bills and stuff. I remember this one particular moment when my mum had to sell my toy trainset. I remember crying about it because it was like my favourite toy at the time" I let out a bittersweet laugh.

"And then... One day when I was nine my mum woke me up... 'We're going to England' she said. 'Because the weather is better over there'. That was her excuse. Later I learned it was because the landlord had kicked us out because we couldn't afford shit anymore" I stared down at the grass, not quite sure if it was worth continueing at this point.

"So?  Was the Tokyo Hotel somewhat an improvement? It's better than homelessness right?" Mikey mumbled. I could tell he wasn't sure what to say.

"I guess. But I just miss being normal. I miss our goddamn middle class home and my old friends I left behind and... I just miss being... Not poor..." I muttered.

Mikey gently caressed my shoulder. "It's okay..." he said hesitantly.

"No it's not" I scoffed. "Being poor sucks. I hate being poor"

Mikey looked at the ground, he looked almost sorrowful. I then realised Mikey never had a normal life at all. He spent his entire life living in the Tokyo Hotel. He'd never known anything aside from poverty.