Victoria Station

The walk to Victoria station was murder.  

I had brought too many things.  I knew it before I had even left, yet  I had simply told myself that I would bury some things once I got there, which I still planned to do, but until I could get out of London I was stuck standing in the middle of Kensington High Street, soaked in sweat, wondering how in hell I had only made it half way to the station in half an hour.  It was half a centimeter on the map.  London was too big.  That wasn't even the worst part.  Kensington has got money.  Lots of it. And here I am, strolling down the most fashionable part of London in my fathers old boots, strapped to a guitar and a dirty 50 pound sack.  Everyone stared at me as if they were wondering what could be worse - being caught dead in what I was wearing, or having the queens dog shit in their mouths.  

I felt like a homeless man who had broken into a fashion show and stumbled onto the runway; smiling the whole time.  

I had to get out of London.   

I finally made it to Victoria station, and was almost feeling better because I had seen a homeless man near the end of my walk and had given him half my baguette.  

'Hey man - '

' - Give me some change or fuck off '

'uh ... you want some bread instead? '

'Huh... Good man!  Good man! ' 

Those last words have been on mental repeat since I left London.  I think I'll be able to go back now.  There's one person in that city who doesn't hate me; I can be happy. 

 

Victoria station was intense.  Yet not in that rushed bus station kinda feel -  I remember noticing that I was the only one who looked like I was going anywhere - but in that city center high hour kinda way.  

There were the corner guys who tried to give away papers as fast as they could (and in retrospect, they must get paid per paper they give out) 

'Paper?! '

'Uh, no it ok - '

 - SHWUPP! 

They lodge them into you wherever there's room.

They have these little kid gangs there too, the ones that act as if there waiting for a load of the good stuff, and while they wait, they pour pop on the ground and mark their territory.  They also have the token sax player who looks blind but really isn't, and the kid with the all white jumpsuit who actually is in a 'all white jumpsuit', and the mom with the ten kids who screams at each of them individually asking where there father is.  

I enjoyed Victoria station.  

I tipped the sax player the rest of my baguette to see if he was blind and even responded to the novel change beggar. 

'Can you spare some change? ' 

'No - but thank you for asking!' 

I bought my ticket and joyfully left London.