Don't Let Morning Come
Midnight
Midnight - 2000 light years way
I sit alone in my bedroom, staring at the walls
I've been up all damn night long, my pulse is beating
My love is yearning
I hold my breath and close my eyes and, dream about her
Cause she's 2000 light years away
She holds my malakite so tight so
Never let go
Cause she's 2000 light years away
I sit outside and watch the sunrise, look out as far as I can
I can't see her but in the distance, I hear some laughter
We laugh together
I hold my breath and close my eyes and, dream about her
Cause she's 2000 light years away
I felt 2000 light years away from anything I knew, everything familiar. My life had been in London for over ten years now, yet I could hardly believe I ever left Berkeley. The walls of my childhood bedroom are still covered in poster, mostly drawings my Dad had done. Jakob's was the same, or I figured it would be. I could find out, if only I could find the courage to go in there. This would be the last night, the fastest night of my life. People said it would be a long one, and I wish that was true. I wished tonight would never, ever end. I wished I'd never got into trouble, I wished the same for Jakob. But wishing doesn't work, magic isn't real anymore. I should know that by now.
***
We were always encouraged to believe in magic at home, Mum had kept on about Santa until I was twelve. I had played along; you got more presents that way. When she found out from Jakob that I'd really stopped believing at the age of seven, she wasn't mad. She just ruffled my hair and told me I should write a book called 'The Kids Guide To Conning Their Parents'. I'd still smacked Jakob for telling, but I'd felt bad afterwards and gave him some of my sweets. Jakob was like that then, he could get round anybody. W e made birthday wishes too, always for the same thing. That our Dad would be around more; that he wouldn't have to perform all the time. Ramona, my Uncle Tre's daughter, made the same wish. She'd told Jakob one, people trusted him for some reason. We always had big birthday parties with the whole family and pretty much everyone in our classes. My Dad's fiends were there too, and their families. I didn't mind that, we got on well with Ramona, and Uncle Mike got us the best presents. But then there was Frankito. He might have been two years younger than Jakob, but he was a tough boistress kid. It was down to him that we always ended up in trouble. Even at such a young age, he was forever in fights, calling us wusses when we didn't join in. I wasn't sure I liked him much, but he was always there. Uncle Tre could rush over at anytime of the day or night with some big idea (usually rude), and Frankito would be with him. We walked to school together, all five of us, me, Jakob, Stella, Ramona and Frankito And we had dinner together most evenings. Funny how you learn to put up with people.
It was on one of these morning walks that I began to see the really nasty side to Frankito. We were dawdling, as we always did on Wednesdays to avoid the weekly uniform inspection, so the streets were quite empty. I would have been eleven, Jakob eight, nearly nine, and Frankito not quite seven. Jakob was worried about some test, I was trying to reassure him, and Frankito was throwing stones and conkers at passing cars.
"Want a shot?" he asked Jakob, handing him a rock far bigger than the ones he'd been using.
Jakob looked at me, unsure how to handle this. He didn't want to do it, I know he didn't, but he still lifted the stone from Frankito's outstretched hand. Frankito had a horrid grin on his filthy face, his eyes laughing.
'He'll never do it' they seemed to say, 'He's to scared'
But Jakob did do it, and he smashed a window too. And it was just his luck that the driver was one of those fat, frowny men, covered with tattoos. Our Dad had tattoos, but they were our names or funny pictures. I always felt dead important when I saw my name in old English script on his arm. But this man had an ugly skull on one arm, and a black cross on the other.
"I know who you lot are" he snarled, "And just because you've got famous parents, you all think you can do whatever the hell you like"
He was out of the car by this time, waving his big muscular arms around. I was terrified, and I could see Ramona was too. But we were nothing compared to Jakob. He was standing in his new school boots, shivering uncontrollably, like a frightened rabbit. Then the driver caught sight of Frankito, standing a good head shorter than the rest of us. His face softened.
"What about you sonny?" he asked kindly, "These bigguns not behaving, eh? Don't worry pal, it's not your fault. I'll take the lot of you home and talk to your parents, squash in the back seat."
But he opened the door to the passenger seat for Frankito.
"You sit in there mate" he said, "Poor kid. Don't worry, I'll tell your Mum and Dad you weren't to blame"
Jakob, crying from fear and the injustice of it all, opened his mouth to say something.
"You keep it zipped" I hissed, "I'll explain to Mum"
But I didn't have too. As soon as the fat man left, she pulled Jakob into a fierce hug.
"I know it wasn't your idea" she said, "But for god's sake don't listen to Frankito. He's a nutcase that one"
And she let us have the rest of the day off. And my Uncle Tre was furious and drove Frankito straight back to school - "He wasn't getting a nice day at home for causing a bloody riot"
That was our fist real victory over him. Of course we had to go back the next day, and the five, of us were hauled up to the front of the assembly and told we'd brought shame on the school. Frankito wasn't bothered, he was always in trouble. But Jakob stood up there, tears trickling down his cheeks, while Frankito smirked. I looked at my brother then, and knew I hated Frankito.
I sit alone in my bedroom, staring at the walls
I've been up all damn night long, my pulse is beating
My love is yearning
I hold my breath and close my eyes and, dream about her
Cause she's 2000 light years away
She holds my malakite so tight so
Never let go
Cause she's 2000 light years away
I sit outside and watch the sunrise, look out as far as I can
I can't see her but in the distance, I hear some laughter
We laugh together
I hold my breath and close my eyes and, dream about her
Cause she's 2000 light years away
I felt 2000 light years away from anything I knew, everything familiar. My life had been in London for over ten years now, yet I could hardly believe I ever left Berkeley. The walls of my childhood bedroom are still covered in poster, mostly drawings my Dad had done. Jakob's was the same, or I figured it would be. I could find out, if only I could find the courage to go in there. This would be the last night, the fastest night of my life. People said it would be a long one, and I wish that was true. I wished tonight would never, ever end. I wished I'd never got into trouble, I wished the same for Jakob. But wishing doesn't work, magic isn't real anymore. I should know that by now.
***
We were always encouraged to believe in magic at home, Mum had kept on about Santa until I was twelve. I had played along; you got more presents that way. When she found out from Jakob that I'd really stopped believing at the age of seven, she wasn't mad. She just ruffled my hair and told me I should write a book called 'The Kids Guide To Conning Their Parents'. I'd still smacked Jakob for telling, but I'd felt bad afterwards and gave him some of my sweets. Jakob was like that then, he could get round anybody. W e made birthday wishes too, always for the same thing. That our Dad would be around more; that he wouldn't have to perform all the time. Ramona, my Uncle Tre's daughter, made the same wish. She'd told Jakob one, people trusted him for some reason. We always had big birthday parties with the whole family and pretty much everyone in our classes. My Dad's fiends were there too, and their families. I didn't mind that, we got on well with Ramona, and Uncle Mike got us the best presents. But then there was Frankito. He might have been two years younger than Jakob, but he was a tough boistress kid. It was down to him that we always ended up in trouble. Even at such a young age, he was forever in fights, calling us wusses when we didn't join in. I wasn't sure I liked him much, but he was always there. Uncle Tre could rush over at anytime of the day or night with some big idea (usually rude), and Frankito would be with him. We walked to school together, all five of us, me, Jakob, Stella, Ramona and Frankito And we had dinner together most evenings. Funny how you learn to put up with people.
It was on one of these morning walks that I began to see the really nasty side to Frankito. We were dawdling, as we always did on Wednesdays to avoid the weekly uniform inspection, so the streets were quite empty. I would have been eleven, Jakob eight, nearly nine, and Frankito not quite seven. Jakob was worried about some test, I was trying to reassure him, and Frankito was throwing stones and conkers at passing cars.
"Want a shot?" he asked Jakob, handing him a rock far bigger than the ones he'd been using.
Jakob looked at me, unsure how to handle this. He didn't want to do it, I know he didn't, but he still lifted the stone from Frankito's outstretched hand. Frankito had a horrid grin on his filthy face, his eyes laughing.
'He'll never do it' they seemed to say, 'He's to scared'
But Jakob did do it, and he smashed a window too. And it was just his luck that the driver was one of those fat, frowny men, covered with tattoos. Our Dad had tattoos, but they were our names or funny pictures. I always felt dead important when I saw my name in old English script on his arm. But this man had an ugly skull on one arm, and a black cross on the other.
"I know who you lot are" he snarled, "And just because you've got famous parents, you all think you can do whatever the hell you like"
He was out of the car by this time, waving his big muscular arms around. I was terrified, and I could see Ramona was too. But we were nothing compared to Jakob. He was standing in his new school boots, shivering uncontrollably, like a frightened rabbit. Then the driver caught sight of Frankito, standing a good head shorter than the rest of us. His face softened.
"What about you sonny?" he asked kindly, "These bigguns not behaving, eh? Don't worry pal, it's not your fault. I'll take the lot of you home and talk to your parents, squash in the back seat."
But he opened the door to the passenger seat for Frankito.
"You sit in there mate" he said, "Poor kid. Don't worry, I'll tell your Mum and Dad you weren't to blame"
Jakob, crying from fear and the injustice of it all, opened his mouth to say something.
"You keep it zipped" I hissed, "I'll explain to Mum"
But I didn't have too. As soon as the fat man left, she pulled Jakob into a fierce hug.
"I know it wasn't your idea" she said, "But for god's sake don't listen to Frankito. He's a nutcase that one"
And she let us have the rest of the day off. And my Uncle Tre was furious and drove Frankito straight back to school - "He wasn't getting a nice day at home for causing a bloody riot"
That was our fist real victory over him. Of course we had to go back the next day, and the five, of us were hauled up to the front of the assembly and told we'd brought shame on the school. Frankito wasn't bothered, he was always in trouble. But Jakob stood up there, tears trickling down his cheeks, while Frankito smirked. I looked at my brother then, and knew I hated Frankito.