Hands up

Hands Up£3

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Issu

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Hands Up

ContentsPage 1

Page 7

Page 5Page 3

1

Japan.I was an only child until I was about eight and I really didn’t like the fact that I had a brother.

I was very unhappy that I wasn’t the only child anymore. I wanted my baby brother to go away. I was a bit of a nasty older sibling and was old enough to know better but I kept poking him when my mum wasn’t looking and making him cry.

“I really hated him.” So I worked on a cunning plan to get rid of

him. I really hated hm.One day my mum bought what I think was a

toy of sorts and I decided that while she was in the bath I would put him in a box and send him away. So I picked him up and put him in the box, I wrote Japan on the side of said box. But as I was figuring out how to get him outside I heard my mum get out of the bath so I quickly put him back not wanting to get into trouble. Mum didn’t suspect a thing and that was the last time I was mean to him.

I was riddled with guilt my whole life since up until recently. I only admitted to this earlier last year and my mum and my little brother now won’t let me forget it.

3

Do Right.I remember vividly. I had just finished primary school for the day and went to my local newsagents to buy some sweets, so I could eat them before I got home.

I hadn’t even spent all my lunch money so I could get something to munch on.

Yet when I walked into the shop and saw that a huge cue had formed, it probably wasn’t that big looking back, I had to be home twenty minutes after I finished school. In a moment of madness I decided to slide some milky buttons into my coat pocket whilst continue browsing and then walked around the aisle and out the door.

I felt my heart racing, thumping, in my chest and the adrenaline running through my body.

I kept looking back in-case the started to walk out to find me, so I started to walk faster and faster whilst checking back every five steps or so until I couldn’t see the shop anymore.

“I felt my heart racing”Once the shop disappeared from my sight I

stopped worrying, turned forwards and had a huge sigh of relief. Walking up the hill towards my house I had a massive smile on my face because I had some sweets yet all my lunch money. It’s safe t say that feeling vanished quickly when I realised that they might of seen me, and had been to busy to chase me for such a small item, and that I had to go back into the shop at some point and what if it was with my parents and I got into trouble.

The following day I took the wrapper into

the shop owned up to what I had did and that I wasn’t going to be home in time if I had to stand in the cue. So I offered to pay them more then the buttons where worth but the shop owner was very impressed that I had come back and told them.

He suggested that I pay for that packet and if there is a cue again to either explain to my mum there was a cue or to save my money for another day.

This experience taught me to do right and you will be rewarded and feel better about life.

5

Scar.Every scar tells a story but some also serve as reminders. The line on the side of my left thumb is a reminder of two big Italians, Al and Carl, early morning starts and seriously hard work. They called me ‘the kid’ among other things and as a group we did pretty much did everything from installing windows to building extensions on houses.

“Take yer time but hurry up!”

My mornings started by setting up the saws that weighed a good 50 pounds each, scrambling up ladders and ferrying new windows up to Al while Carl shouted orders from down below. “Take yer time but hurry up!” they’d say. They had been doing this job since high school and felt it was imperative to impart their life wisdom on me. Advice like, “when you’re about to do something stupid, Don’t” should have sprung to mind the day I marked my thumb, but didn’t. Hurriedly opening a box, the blade jumped and slit my thumb. A napkin from the morning coffee run and some black electrical tape had it under control. A toolbox was the same as a medical kit. Rushing with a box cutter, I was had done something stupid and should have known to do the “don’t” bit.

It was hard work, but I have fond memories of working with those guys.

Most importantly, they pushed me to leave for greater things. My scar reminds me of the value of education and why it shouldn’t be taken for granted. It reminds me of two guys

that looked out for me all the time. “Not for nuttin’” I’m glad of the scar for reminding me of so many things.

7

I Rise Up.For to tell the story of when my hands were at their best, Would be so mind-bogglingly dazzling…. I do not jest. Thus, what may be better for me to say, Is; tell you what happens on an ordinary day.

“What Have My Hands Done?”

So I rise up in the morning at half past three, I lather, rise, repeat with Soft ‘n Free. I put on my chainmail and head out the door, By this time, I’ll say it’s about a quarter to four. Word!

Now I’m strollin’ down the street on my hands, On a street of broken glass, I find a Jerrycan. Fill it to the brim with petrol, drink it raw! I tell ya, my throat isn’t even a lil’ sore.

The sun comes rollin’ up about 5 or 6, Reach into my purse for some weet-a-bix. I mades the purse myself from thee finest silk, I proceed to eat my weet-a-bix without any milk! Hey!

I unsheathe my sword and throw it down a well, cos my hands are sharper – anybody could tell. I tear in two the oak tree that stands tall and strong, and with 10:30 tea I arm-wrestle King Kong.

This is just the start of the day and I run to A&E Because I drank petrol while walking on broken glass and then tore a tree in half before arm-wrestling King Kong which is a very silly thing to do.

Take Care of your hands.

9

Lucky.Every time we open our front door my puppy tries to run outside, however once I opened the door and he sprinted into the road, and I ran after him, luckily I pinned him down as a car was coming, and I picked him up and got out of the way. If I didn’t have hands we both would have gotten hit by the car I guess?

When I was little I had a gold fish, and I didn’t know how to clean a fish tank I tried to take my fish out of the tank with my hands and I dropped him on the floor., to say it didn’t end well

With thanks to all participants who kindly donated the perosnal stories of hands.