I am a monkey child. It is not important how I came to be so, be it because of my upbringing, where I lived, or who I encountered on my way here. Where is here?
Well, wouldn't you like to know. Honestly, it's none of your business, but I'll tell you anyhow. I live in a mental institute.
Oh, don't look that way. It's a very nice mental institute, just for monkey girls like me. I have friends, and they're sweet girls, some young, some old. All monkeys like me. The institute is very big, and is separated in three buildings. Each building is painted a different tone of pink. I live in what I call the "Cherry Blossom" house. It was painted beige and the windows pink. The door was pink, the veranda was pink, our balconies were pink, the window frames were pink. Our head shrink called us students, but I have no idea what that was about.
I had been living in this mental institute since I was ten. I was 17 when it all happened. What happened? The fire did. Did I start it? Maybe. The important part is that everything burnt down. The fire started at 19:45, and by 20:01 I was sitting on a bus to London, with a bad full of bills from under our head shrinks mattress.
Ah, freedom. Even sitting on a crummy bus driving through the middle of bloody nowhere I felt more at home. The bus stopped and an old lady came on. Even though the whole bus was empty, she sat next to me. Her smell slapped me, and only a while later did I realize what it was. Old lady smell, that's it. It has been a while since I'd smelled it.
"Where are you travelling to?" She smiled at me.
"I'm going to London, to find a job" I told her matter-of-factly.
"Oh, well, where are you staying then?" She asked. I looked at her, her saggy face lit up in a smile just as cheery as her flowery hat.
"I'll see when I get there" I smiled at her.
"Well, my dear, I have rooms for rent, if you're looking" She hesitated, "How old are you?"
"I'm 19" I lied, "and I'd love to rent a room, if it's not too expensive".
I must've looked desperate and she must've took pity, because her next answer was completely unexpected.
"Oh, I wouldn't charge a sweet girl like you without even a job! You come and stay, and when you find work, we can figure out a price darling." Darling. The word sounded safe and sound, and it rang in my ears.
"Here's our stop!" She pulled me up excitedly, surprisingly strong for such an old lady.
And out we stepped, straight into Chinatown.