Things got to the stage where for the majority of my time I was feeling sorry for myself and not really caring about anything other than where my next drink was coming from. The world seemed to look better through the haze of alcohol.
With no real desire and no one to care about, I lacked motivation. I’d been on the streets for about four months. I didn’t care that I was slowly going downhill and my body couldn’t take much more abuse.
When I was growing up, we lived in a small flat on a council estate. My aunt and uncle ran a pub and as they didn’t have any kids of their own they would spoil me on the occasions I stayed with them for a few nights. Dad died when I was young and Mum passed away nearly three years ago. My aunt and uncle decided to emigrate from the UK to Australia six years ago.
With no close relatives and no one to care about I just thought, what’s the point? I’d been spending long hours begging and I’d held back on buying alcohol and food. Over three weeks I’d managed to save up forty-two pounds and my plan was to spend the lot on one gram of cocaine. As I’d never used drugs in my life, I knew my body wouldn’t be able to deal with the sudden surge and that it would kill me.
Chapter Seven
MY FRIEND STEVIE
I’m not sure what the statistics are on the number of people the average person meets during their lifetime. I guess it must be thousands? Out of all those people, perhaps twenty will become friends, and if you’re lucky the number of close friends can be counted on more than one hand. However, you only ever have one best friend. When Miriam was killed, I lost my best friend. I never thought I’d ever find anyone else to share my thoughts and feelings with again, but then I had the good fortune to meet Stevie Evans.
The day I bumped into him, I was at the lowest point in my life. I’d gone into St Matthew’s Church during the Sunday service for two reasons: one was to get out of the harsh rain storm for five minutes and the second was to ask God to forgive me for what I was about to do.
The previous evening I’d spent every penny of the forty-two pounds I had in the world and the item I’d purchased was sitting in my coat pocket.
Stevie didn’t know that the day we met was the first anniversary of the death of my family. All he saw were the signs of a man on the edge and he genuinely wanted to help. Without him there’s no way I could have coped.
Over the following days and weeks, his care and true friendship saved me. I couldn’t see it at the time but he put his own life on hold and spent every single second devoted to me. Whenever I turned round he was there, not because he needed to be but because he cared. We made a connection. He sees things in me that I’ve never seen in myself.
Stevie is a good natured Welshman with a big heart who moved to Trentbridge to find work after the high unemployment in his hometown meant he couldn’t find a job there. Being at his parents’ home all day had caused friction and rows, and as deep cutting words had been said, Stevie decided the best option was to move out of the area.
He’s an honest hard working person whose main weakness seems to be he trusts people too easily. He took the first job he could find, and things were looking good for him.
Four months later, he realised his shift manager and a work colleague were stealing goods from the warehouse, so he reported it to the branch manager. They disregarded his claim and blamed him for the thefts which resulted in him losing his job and ending up on the streets.
I soon found out that Stevie is one of those rare people who always see the positive side. He has taught me that life is precious no matter where you find yourself or how bad things look at the time. Stevie has also taught me to be more positive. His genuine kindness and understanding helped me to overcome the ghosts of my past.
Gradually, the black has become grey and then, little by little, the world has come back into focus. Back then, I wasn’t sure what the future held, but now I know I want to be part of it.
Stevie has even helped me to control my drinking to the extent that without him I doubt whether I’d still be alive, and I know that’s not what my Miriam would have wanted.
Thank you, God, for bringing Stevie into my life. He’s truly one in a million.
He’s the best friend anyone could ever wish for.
Chapter Eight
JAMES
The weather in May can be so unpredictable. Some nights are warm but there are still plenty when it’s extremely cold. I’ve also discovered, to my cost that many places are unsafe, which has led me to search for a sheltered location.
Using what I thought were my long-forgotten detective skills I found a spot behind the Albion, a four-star hotel. The main entrance is on Trinity Street but I discovered a sheltered area using the rear entrance down an alleyway on Green Street.
It’s secure and the best part is there’s room for two people so I could share the space with Stevie. We made sure to keep out of the way during the day. All we wanted was somewhere safe to sleep.
We even managed to make friends with a couple of hotel employees who keep an eye on things when we’re not around. I thank them on the odd occasion I see them. They just
