Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

IPB
 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> Starlight Over Bethnal Green, An Modern, English, Nativity
Sekhmet
post Dec 7 09, 04:36
Post #1


Greek
***

Group: Platinum Member
Posts: 743
Joined: 3-February 09
From: Abingdon, Oxfordshire,UK
Member No.: 754
Real Name: Leonora Wyatt
Writer of: Poetry & Prose
Referred By:No one at all



STARLIGHT OVER BETHNAL GREEN* – A MODERN, ENGLISH, NATIVITY. by Leo Wyatt
*Bethnal Green is a deprived district of London.



Maria breathed hard on the window, and rubbed a clear space where her breath had formed icy spider's webs on the wire- strengthened glass.
She peered at the fast fading daylight, feeling uneasy; for she knew that she had been wasting her time,
day dreaming again –in truth, she spent most of her days dreaming - now that her time was so close.
She realised that by now, her mind had become terribly confused between what was really, 'real' -
and all those incredible images drifting into her mind uninvited, as an integral part of her day-dreaming.
Could some of those things possibly be real?
She knew for sure that most of what she thought of as, 'That Stuff', was truly weird - particularly her conversation with the Angel.

She day-dreamed on, recalling her parent's home in Bethnal Green,
and conjuring up the warm, homely smells of Margaret, her Mum, frying sausages,
with perhaps a couple of runny- yoked eggs, and crisply fried bread for Dad's breakfast.
Maria suddenly realised that, after months of not being able to force more than a few mouthfuls
down at each meal, her appetite was back with a vengeance, and she
stroked her stomach, feeling her son kick gently as he turned.
She gazed wistfully from her upper-floor window, scarcely noticing the Jamaican 'Yardies',
as they made their secret drug transactions on the wind-whipped concrete stairways and walkways
surrounding her dilapidated tenement block in Nelson Mandela Court.

It was only when Joe exploded into the flat, agog with excitement and
waving a newspaper that she was jolted back into reality. He was shouting,
'There's been an edict!'
Befuddled by her surging hormones, Maria had taken little interest in the results
of the General Election during the previous week.
But now, according to Joe it appeared that the far right, B.N.P. – (the British Nationalist Party)
had triumphed, with a massive majority.
Joe, who was substantially older than Maria, took a keen interest in all things political, and
he had been appalled by the Party's charismatic leader - Oswald Tremain - and his
overwhelmingly persuasive rhetoric; all of which had driven the B.N.P onward to victory.
'That'll cause all sorts of problems!' said Joe with a groan,
and threw himself into his armchair to read more.
'It says here,' he read anxiously, 'that every one will have to return to their,
"Place of Birth." We will all - all of us - have to go back to our, "Place of Birth" during the
last week in December, and be registered there for, "Approved British Citizenship."'
He read on a little further, then added, his voice full of doubt
'And those who weren't born in the UK, will be deported back to their Country of Birth -
and they'll have to apply again for Citizenship - from there'.
He seemed confused by what he had read.

Maria gave what he had been telling her some thought. Then, a worried expression caused her
normally unlined brow to crinkle.
'But, we can't go back.' she whispered.
'Can't see why not. 'Joe grinned. 'Thank goodness we were both born in Bethnal Green,
otherwise it might have been a bit tricky, what with you in your condition.'
He knelt to place his head on her burgeoning stomach.
'Bethnal Green's not that far.' he murmured comfortingly.
'I didn't mean that, Joe dear' Marie sighed, 'I meant, who would have us to stay?
We wouldn't be ... welcome … there any more.'
You can't have forgotten. When my Dad found out about the baby, he threw me out of the house.
And as for Mum, all she could talk about was the shame of her neighbours' wagging
tongues when my cousin produced baby John; after all, she was long past the right age
for childbearing; no one knew what to think!
Then, when I began to show - that was the last straw.
I tried to tell them that I had never been with a boy - never! But nobody believed me.
It was just – "Out you go, you little slut! And don't bother to come back !
If it hadn't been for you Joe, I don't know what I would have done!
Please don't make me go back there, Joe. I couldn't face it!"

Joe hugged his young wife, and stroked her hair with his soothing hands.
I know about all that sweetheart, but we're going to have to go back. It's all here, in the
paper.
Maria had another thought.
'Joe dear; all the trains and 'busses will be full to bursting - what with all those thousands of people,
coming and going - I just couldn't stand the crowds.'

The look of distress on Maria's face made Joe's heart lurch with love for his
anxious little wife. So, having thought carefully about the problem for a few minutes, he rose,
with decisiveness to his feet.

His rusty old motor bike was leaning like a no good drunk, against the wall in the hallway of their apartment.
Sometimes he used it to get to his workplace in time for the early shift at, 'Flat-Pac World',
but he hadn't used it for months now.
Carefully he cleaned off the saddle with his handkerchief and spit; making a promise to himself
that he would give it a thorough service over the next few weeks.
Then, grinning, in what he hoped was an endearing way, he wheeled it into the centre of their sitting room.

'This is the very thing sweetheart! It's old, and not much to look at - a bit like me I suppose. But the saddle's well worn, and very soft; that's a bit like me too!' he smiled encouragement into her eyes.
You can sit, safe and sound on this comfy old saddle, and I will be the proudest man in England,
even if I have to I push you all the way to Bethnal Green - no problems!
Your steed awaits - My Lady'

And so it came to pass,that a few weeks later, Joe, with Maria perched dubiously on
the saddle of his now very shiny old motor bike, arrived in Bethnal Green, just before
midnight on December24th.
Joe was exhausted but exultant.'

Half asleep, and beginning to feel the onset of her early labour pains, Marie
gazed, wonderingly up into the snowy sky.

'Just look at all those stars, Joe.' she murmured sleepily.
'The brightest one seems to have followed us all the way here.'
'Yes dear, stars are like that' replied Joe, distracted.
He was looking anxiously around for an Inn, where they might be able to spend the night …..
THE BEGINNING.



1095 words


·······IPB·······

 
+Quote Post  Go to the top of the page
Cleo_Serapis
post Dec 7 09, 06:12
Post #2


Mosaic Master
Group Icon

Group: Administrator
Posts: 18,892
Joined: 1-August 03
From: Massachusetts
Member No.: 2
Real Name: Lori Kanter
Writer of: Poetry & Prose
Referred By:Imhotep



Thank you for your Holiday entry Leo! holly.gif

Best of luck! dove.gif

May the 'classic' holiday spirit be shared in your heart throughout the season! blueorn.gif

~ Mosaic Musings Staff knight.gif Pharoah.gif Viking.gif vic.gif princess.gif troy.gif cali.gif tut.gif knight.gif



·······IPB·······

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to." ~ J.R.R Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Collaboration feeds innovation. In the spirit of workshopping, please revisit those threads you've critiqued to see if the author has incorporated your ideas, or requests further feedback from you. In addition, reciprocate with those who've responded to you in kind.

"I believe it is the act of remembrance, long after our bones have turned to dust, to be the true essence of an afterlife." ~ Lorraine M. Kanter

Nominate a poem for the InterBoard Poetry Competition by taking into careful consideration those poems you feel would best represent Mosaic Musings. For details, click into the IBPC nomination forum. Did that poem just captivate you? Nominate it for the Faery award today! If perfection of form allured your muse, propose the Crown Jewels award. For more information, click here!

"Worry looks around, Sorry looks back, Faith looks up." ~ Early detection can save your life.

MM Award Winner
 
+Quote Post  Go to the top of the page
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

Reply to this topicStart new topic

 

RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 18:47




Read our FLYERS - click below



Reference links provided to aid in fine-tuning your writings. ENJOY!

more Quotes
more Art Quotes
Dictionary.com ~ Thesaurus.com

Search:
for
Type in a word below to find its rhymes, synonyms, and more:

Word: