Unlikely Places Read Online Free Page B

caught it was just a stupid drunken idea...I was just angry....I don’t
think I could have hurt anyone...I just wanted to get my frustrations out...”.
    “Two cars?”
    I smiled at him. “Well drunk people make mistakes you
see....I wouldn’t have done it if I was sober”.
    Over the next two weeks my sessions with Mike had become
akin to relaxed chats with a friend, I had really warmed to him far more than
my previous counsellor. I was genuinely surprised at how we was able to pull
information from me, and make me look at it in a different way. We discussed my
childhood with my parents before they divorced and the impact it had on Nat and
me, alongside the intensity of losing him when effectively we had already lost
our mother. Although I still needed to work on reigning in my ideas of
retribution which still reared its ugly head on occasion when provoked. I had
however started to feel stronger and clearer in my need to sort myself out I
had even started to think about going back to college to further my photography
skills or maybe build a portfolio to apply for an MA.
     
    Thursday
    My phone woke me from my daydream starring at the computer
screen blankly looking at a colourful wiring diagram I picked up my phone
answering it without even looking at the caller id very risky for me, I must
have been having an off day.
    “Hello”. I heard my own scratchy voice from not talking for
several hours.
    “Alexandra Philips?” The voice of a sharp female rang in my
ear.
    “Yes...speaking”. God what a mistake debt management again,
it just goes to prove how random their calls are I haven’t had any debt since
leaving University six years ago. I was just about to hang up when she spoke
again this time slightly friendlier.
    “It’s Caroline Richards from the Probation Service, hello”.
    “Oh, hello”. This could only be bad news, please don’t
extend my counselling Mike was nice but not that nice.
    “I have a placement for you set up for Monday....it’s with a
community project workforce at the West Point Nature Reserve”.
    “Right...okay”. It had to happen sooner or later, I guess it
means I’m not a complete nutter if they are willing to let me lose out in
public so Mike must have been favourable in his report. “Where abouts do I need
to go?”
    “You need to be at the ranger’s office at nine it’s near the
adventure playground....do you know where that is?”
    “Yes I think so...not far from the car park?” I was trying
to visualise it in my head from the last time I had been there with Lucy a few
months ago, when we had heavy snow.
    “That’s right....you need to ask for a Peter Murry when you
get there he’s the project leader, he’ll sign you in and track your hours for
the day....Okay?”
    “Do you know what we’ll be doing?....What should I wear?” I
asked rapidly making notes of names and locations on an envelope I found
nearby. 
    “Um let me see.....graffiti removal I think....so wear old
clothes....Okay as before contact me if there are any problems”.
    “Okay thanks”. I think.
    Does that mean if I don’t want to go at all I hopefully
thought, although I had been expecting it the thought of it made me very
uneasy. I made a mental note to contact Nat to let her know I wouldn’t be able
to take on as much work. As I sat there contemplating a potential illness that
just might make an appearance before Monday I realised I hadn’t asked if it was
a full day or not, of course it was just putting off the inevitable but as that
never really hurt anyone did it!
     
    Monday
    My alarm woke me at seven to give me a chance to dress
sufficiently for the predicted frosty January day. A warm breakfast of porridge
and tea followed by sandwich making and a flask preparing readying me for a
full day if required.
    Arriving at the nature reserve a little before nine I took
the time to look at the large information map to familiarise myself with the
layout of the reserve, checking my phone I walked