I never knew my father well. Its not that he didn’t try to connect with me, or that I couldn’t be bothered, he just wasn’t around much. That was neither of our faults, but someone else’s. I never met the other person either, probably best for me. And him. So, with my dad not around, it was left in my mother’s hands to bring me up. I always wanted to protect my mother, from the minute my dad left.  She did a good job. She tried her hardest, got me in a good school and still managed to uphold a job good enough to pay for our needs. And my dad’s.

I did well in school and always enjoyed literature. I aspired to be an author, or a journalist. But then again, I have never been good with people; so getting information would be difficult. I have a tendency to seize up and become really sarcastic. That’s probably why I never got any call backs at job interviews. Maybe that’s why the milkman never comes any more…

It’s absolutely freezing outside. God, should never have thought of going out, that’s ruddy mad mans weather. I’m telling you, it seems these days that winters are summers and summers are winters. May not sound bad, but when you look forward to a nice summer you have to go out in a flaming coat! 

This here’s my favourite coat. Wouldn’t give it up for the world. I got this coat from my mother, just before she left. Sent it to me when I was in Iraq. I decided, as I was getting nowhere with the journalism, to join the army. I always loved protecting people. Did it since I was small. My mother once told me I had pet fish. Never lasted long, but then nothing does these days. She said that if the cat came in the room with the fish, we had a cat you see, I would run after the cat, yelling and flailing my arms around like a mad man. Mad then and mad now eh? Times never change, just people. Well some do. 

Take that old man for instance. Ever since I started helping him, he’s never changed. And that was a few years ago now. He always goes to the shop, the same shop, at the same time, each and every Thursday and Sunday. Well, he hobbles, so I suppose he wouldn’t be able to get much further. No, that’s not nice. He’s a kind old man, he is. I stopped to have a chat with him once. He said he lost his leg when he was in the army. Said he still didn’t regret signing up. Just like me really, like to put others in front of myself, making sure that people are safe, whatever the cost.