I was a stranger in a strange land all by myself.
I don't know what possessed me to apply to university in England.But i can't take it back,I mean I can but I'm too cowardly to.
Here I am in an apartment that makes me feel too big for it.It isn't what I always dreamed of as a teen- its small and cramped and the windows don't open right- but it's a hell of a lot safer than my old one.
I don't have a bed.
"My roommate stole my mattress and high-tailed it." I say bursting into tears over skype call with my mum.
My dearest mother-the sunshine in my darkest hour,my number one fan,my damage control and here she was laughing her ass off at me.Her only child.
"Didn't I tell you he was bad news Diego Baurreco?Didn't I? Well if you ask me it's good to teach you something-listen to your mother.",she says in her thick spanish accent.
She irks me.While I'm in a foreign country desperately trying to become a foreign language translator and juggling two jobs,she laughs at me.Like the savage she is.
Evil woman.
I tuck my legs under my arse on the cold wodden floors of my apartment.I could be sitting on a soft plush bed right now if that right arse Mathieu didn't steal my mattress. I swear if I see him again we'll have beef even if my beef was the equivalent of mashed potatoes.
It was getting colder in England and I was definately not ready for winter.That's OK I'll either freeze or starve to death and that evil woman will laugh at my funeral and Mathieu will probably steal my tombstone ,too.
"Diego have you gotten any friends yet,mijo?" When I don't reply she curses me in spanish and text-books me to death with "Barry Bear Makes Friends".She quotes it for me:"all you have to do to make a friend is listen,laugh and be there in the end." It's a children's book but he's my mum and no matter how 22 I say I am,I still am her baby.I've stopped fighting it.I love my mom,honest to God I do but I hate when she forces me to do things like make friends with english people who know me as :"that spanish guy with that tattoo who eats lunch by himself because he's got no friends".
"Diego Baurreco Martín.I tell you everyday to set daily goals.Make two quality friends today,be happy and content with what you own,say your prayers and be humble and kind to others." And mum looks at me so endearingly with her big hazel eyes that look glassy,her thin face with her strong jawline, and it feels like in staring into a miror becuause I look like her, and what she says gives me inspiration to go face the day,
"I believe in you,mijo,"
I swear I'm crying out of pure happiness.I can feel the trust i have for mum in my chest growing and strangthing and I feel a little bad for thinking of her as a evil woman, "Mattress-less and all,"
Evil woman.
♧
It's lunch and I've suffered through a double session of linguistics and I'm still friendless.But there's this guy who's sitting with me at my table because they're aren't any available tables. I'm not into him but he's so rad.
His hair is weird.I wonder if he knows there's a pencil sticking out of his mullet mohawk.His hair is grey and it faded to dark tips from his light roots.He has red eyes like he did Mary-J before coming to the school café.In my opinon,he's cool.He's the type of guy I'd want to be if I hadn't possessed the social skills of a potato.
Eventually he looks at me and catches me staring at him and we just sit there almost bitterly.He's probably angry that I'm staring at the pencil in his hair.Oh God I want to turn to a pile of mush on the floor so badly.What did mum say about Barry Bear and his kangaroo friend?
While I'm desperately opening and closing my mouth trying to get a good sentence together he just laughs at me.And I'm so cringe worthy that I laugh back,nervously and then the pencil falls out of his head and jabs him in his hand and I'm dying of laughter.Two total strangers rolling on the floor with laughter (litterally the cafe people are probably wondering what number the asulum is registered as in the yellow pages) and before you you know it he leans over from by the legs of the table and extends a tattoed arm,
"M'Skate.What about you,mate?"
"M'Diego," and dare i be a little adventurous,"Diego Baurreco,".
Wait how did that spy guy say it?Last name first or was it first name.Oh well,I've already said it.
"Nice to meet you,Diego.I can tell we're gonna be friends."
Haha in your face Barry Bear and Barry Bear's kangaroo friend.I made a friend today.
