Leaving Home
Sarah was making her way home from work. She was fed up. She wanted to get away. Home life wasn't going so well. Not since her mum moved her boyfriend Ray in. He was bone-idle. He'd never done a day's work in his life. He spent most of the time sponging off her mum. He'd have be better off moving into the pub than into their house. That's where he spent most of his time.
Once she got home, there he was, lounging on the sofa with a can of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. He didn't even say hello to her. Most of the time he ignored her anyway. What did her mum ever see in him. That's what she wanted to know. He needed somewhere to live and it looked as though he had struck lucky moving into their house. Sarah knew nothing about him. It was as though his life was a complete mystery. She just wished he'd go and live it somewhere else.
Next morning, she decided that was it. She was leaving. She was going to her sister's. So instead of going to work she got some stuff together and made her way to the railway station.
Waiting for the train, she was thinking how glad she was that she was getting away. No more Ray. She would be free of him. She felt guilty for leaving her mum, but she just couldn't stand it any more.
She arrived at the town where her sister lived. She was hoping her sister would be in. She worked nights in a care home, so she'd probably be in bed after finishing her shift.
'What the bloody hell are you doing here?' her sister said after answering the door to Sarah in her dressing gown.
'Oh, Donna, I had to get away from that house. I couldn't stand any more. Can I stay with you till I sort my self out?'
'I suppose. But I haven't got much room. Have you had any breakfast?'
'No,' Sarah answered, with relief on her face after Donna said she could stay.
Next day Sarah took to the streets looking for work. She was getting nowhere. It wasn't the best of days. It had been raining all morning, and she was freezing cold as she searched in vain, but there was nothing available. She asked around a few shops without any luck, so she decided to go into a cafe. She was soaking wet with the rain and her hands were numb with the cold. She tried desperately to get them warm by wrapping them around a hot mug of coffee. Then she just kept thinking what she could do next. Why did she have to go and leave home? She had walked out on a good job. She hadn't told them she was leaving. She just didn't turn up. She had headed to the railway station instead and made her way to her sister's. Now she wished she hadn't bothered, but she wanted to get away. What was she going to do next? There was only one thing she could do.
Later that day, Donna came home from doing the shopping, but soon after she got inside she heard the doorbell ring.
'Hi, mum. What are you doing here?' she said after answering the door.
'Well, I did try to phone you.' her mum answered, 'but I got no reply.
Where's our Sarah?'
'She's out looking for a job. She should be back soon.'
But Sarah never came back. Her mum waited ages, then decided to return home. On the way home she became so worried she was thinking of going to the police and reporting her missing, but when she arrived home she was glad she hadn't, especially after she got inside and saw who was lying on the sofa, watching the television without a care in the world.
'Are you all right, mum?' she heard.
'Decided to come home, have we?'
'Yeah, I thought it best. Oh, mum, I'm so sorry for leaving the way I did.'
'It's OK, love. At least you're back now.'
'Where's Ray? In the pub I suppose.'
'No, he's left me.'
Was Sarah glad to hear that. And was she glad to be back home. At least she still had a job to go to. She had phoned them up and told them she was ill.
