PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Excitement.

Life was a bore, I would have said when I was the age of seventeen. I was not interested in Girls sport was not one of my interests. I missed the open spaces of the Welsh mountains and valleys. Roaming the dirty streets was and never will be a suitable occupation for a young man.

I smoked my last cigarette, I felt in my empty pockets hoping to find the odd coin that would tell me that I am not broke. A gang of young people passed by on the other side of the street. Like all or most young people they were rather noisy. No windows were being flung open no one was telling them to be quiet, rather unusual I thought to myself. Later I passed the rows of shops and stores. I realised that I was now in the middle of the town.

Sitting down on the pavement with my feet in the gully I looked around at the shops and stores. One of the large stores had an alleyway leading to he back of the place. Being nosey I got up from my place on the pavement and sauntered down the alley. Not one window of this large store had any metal bars for protection it would be easy to get in to the place and have a look around. I thought that with a little luck I would find a rest room for the staff and perhaps someone had left a few cigarettes lying around.

To my surprise the windows were not bolted an open invitation to break and enter the place. I did not stop to think I clambered onto the windowsill and with the blade of my penknife I opened the small catch that held the window closed. With the window open I was soon walking silently around the store. One of the staff had left an open packet of cigarettes on one of the tables. Then I decided to really look to see if there was anything in this store for me. Oh! Yes I knew I was breaking the law. I knew what I was doing was very wrong. I was one bored young man I had a very weak excuse I was broke that is I had no money either in my pocket or in any bank. I also had five days to go before I received my next pay packet and that for a young boy that had just started work was very little Then my luck changed I found the cash machines.

Each cash machine had three pounds of small change. I now went from one cash machine to the other and filled my pockets with small change. I left the store by the window that I had opened to egt in. I had the unforshamed luck no one was about and I managed to reach my place of lodging without being stopped. I had a little over forty pounds in my pocket. Forty stolen pounds it is true. I told myself that was the first and last time that I do anything like that. Alas it was just the start. While I was in the store something was with me yes something called excitement? This excitement was always part of my breaking and entering. Without this rush of adrenaline there would have been no excitement and I would not have gone on into a life of petty crime. For that is what I had become, a criminal, a small time criminal. I do not remember how many such crimes I committed. I do remember the various punishments given me first by the Magistrates Courts then by the Higher Courts where Judge and Jury had the say as to what punishment I would be given fitting whatever crime I had committed.