Normal but with no dad!

We played all those silly skipping games, sang the songs and really enjoyed doing it. To be perfectly honest, if you handed me a skipping rope and offered to do play the games with me now, I’d indulge and enjoy it. That is no secret, approaching 18, I am still incredibly childish.

Out of school, I was normal, but with no dad!

I don’t remember this affecting me too much yet, my uncle was sometimes around. As I got older, my dad got a visiting order from the courts. Fortnightly, we went to stay with him. For a long time we stayed at my other nana’s. My dad’s mum. She was nice to us too, and always had food in the house. I have 3 uncles and an aunt on my dad’s side. I haven’t met one of my uncles even now, neither am I sure that he is aware of my existence, but no matter. I digress.

My nana would always make her special Sunday roast on the Sunday before we were driven back to my mothers’ for around half 6. Usually, were late, and my dad was always in a rush to get ready for church, as he’d dash us to Home and rush off to Church.

We went to same church too for a while until one day, my mum upped and left. The reason being, we saw a church on TV while visiting my mother’s friend in Manchester, and my mum thought it was a good idea. So, just like that we went. It was in the a theatre in London.

They rented the building, and me and my siblings went to the Kids Church. I re-call there was time when we went to all the services, and I don’t remember how many there were, but there were quite a few. I loved loved loved kids church, and we did mini-activities like dancing and skateboarding. It was there where I first decided to give my life to Christ.

I was prayed for and the leaders smiled. I did it a few Sundays in a row, so I’m not sure if God took me seriously. He must have laughed just thinking about me.
After a day’s church, my mum would treat me to my favourite chocolate bar – a Dream bar. I haven’t seen one of those in such a long while, adored them. There was a limited edition where they had strawberries in it too. Oh, that white chocolate bar was heaven, and only 60p or so. Considering it was being sold in a café in Central London, that was quite cheap.
The church we moved to is called Hillsong London. I still go to that church now.

During half-term, Christmas, New Years and Summer my parents would alternate taking us kids. I know that despite no longer being a part of the older church I attended their annual conference. I loved it.

When I was younger I made a very silly mistake, and sat on the wrong side of the kids room, and was put in a lower age group category than I was. For embarrassment, when I was asked, I lied about my age, I didn’t want them to know I got my age wrong, so I stayed with the toddlers, drawing. When I told my dad, he laughed.

A few years later, the next time I went to their conference, I was with my two cousins; one from my mums’ side, and one from my dads’. My girl cousin welcomed me, and I was put in her class, along with my boy cousin. We attended a bible class formatted programme, and I remember having quite a lot of bible knowledge, I read my kids bible with pictures every night at my mums with the family, and we prayed.

My boy cousin, well he didn’t do so well, and managed to alienate the ‘popular girls’ in the class. There were 3 girls who seemed to be the ‘it girls’.

I remember being scared of them.
Yes I used to go to the previous London church, but as far as I’m concerned, this is the first I’d seen of them. They seemed nice, but I had no intention of finding out if they were or not. I kept my head down, and they didn’t bother me.
I was jealous that they got a lot of attention from the boys, but I did nothing about it.

One boy seemed to be endlessly talking to me though. Despite my big head, and silly little pattern cainrows. If my memory serves me correctly, he was cute. I digress.
I didn’t exactly settle into my dad’s side of life. When I was there, I was there, but more often than not, I wasn’t there…