“I didn’t like it anyway,” I say, embarrassed
that people might be watching.
She slaps me hard across the face.
My eyes fill up but I don’t blink.
I look her straight in the eye.
“You’re not allowed to do that.”
“Uncle B, Mum hit me.
I think she’s worried about money.”
Uncle B has always been there for me.
The only person in the Brown family
that I see regularly.
He tells me that Mum is doing her best.
He tells me how hard he worked
to build himself a better life,
get the family out of poverty.
He buys me gifts
but this is not why I love him.
He likes planes and astronomy;
he has his head in the clouds,
reaches for stars.
Music and Stars
I’m singing “Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star” with Anna,
helping Mum to put her to bed.
Mum says, “You have such a beautiful voice,
Michael. your singing teacher told me
about a special school
you could go to with an excellent choir.
It’s an all-boys school in Camden.”
I like boys. I like Camden.
