Let the Journey Begins - Part 1

Before I start to tell the story of my life, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Adrian for helping me. I know you are reading this, and a simple "thank you" is just not enough to make up to it.

In order to tell the story of mine, I will have to start from the beginning. It will be long, so I have to split the introduction into few chapters. And this blog entry will be the first chapter of the introduction.

Let me be very frank.

I am not always homeless. I used to live in an upscale apartment with a beautiful girlfriend and a cute dog. I used to have a steady job, and I was a millionaire, not in cash but fixed asset.

But it all changed.

I have made many mistakes in life, but none greater than the previous few mistakes that didn't only take away the life that I used to enjoy, but also causing me the miseries that I am facing now.

Money was easy for me. Besides my salary job, I invested smartly and the return was handsome. To avoid those stupid income taxes, I used my girlfriend's name to purchase the apartment, and then every month I spent lavishly on food, clothing, gadgets, gifts, and etc. I didn't really have savings as I got rental income from my 2 houses in U.S., and also the salary job.

Then, I sold one of the houses in U.S., and invested the sum into some high risk investment. It flopped, and I lost it all. But the worst was the fact that I didn't save any money for rainy days and when the investment flopped, I was left with no money at all. That was mistake #1.

Then, my girlfriend broke up with me just 2 weeks after my failed investment. She decided to throw me out from my own home, but there was nothing I could do because the house was purchased under her name. That was mistake #2.

Over night, from an upscale apartment, I was reduced to homeless. I didn't have saving, so I can't afford a rental place, so I packed up all my things into my car, and moved into office. That was mistake #3.

I managed to hide the fact that I was living in the office from my colleagues and friends for 2 days, but eventually the boss found out, and that didn't get on very well with him. He ordered me to go into his office, and he was barking at me. I couldn't give him a good enough reason, and maybe he was sleeping on the wrong side of the bed the night before, he fired me, right there and then.

Without any choice, I packed up my belongings into my car again.

I didn't call my friends because for the 6 odd years that I was in the relationship, I more or less lost touch with them. That was mistake #4.

I was immersing myself into the relationship and forgot about my friends. And then, I became homeless and I was embarrassed to call them up asking for help. Furthermore, some of my friends were married and staying with their families, so I had no choice but to wander around in my car.

Ever since I walked out from the house many years back after the big fight, I haven't talked to my dad at all. I am the only son, and I don't have siblings. My mom passed away when I was young, and my dad, being the asshole that he is, married his mistress within weeks after the funeral. I shouted at him for not showing any respects to mom, and he slapped me. I punched him, and then I ran away with a small luggage. After that, I hated him ever since and sometimes when we bumped into each other on the street, we would pretend that we didn't see each other. His wife (I will never admit that she's my step-mom) got pregnant and now, after so many years, they got a few kids. I heard that my dad pretended, in front of his friends and associates, that he didn't have son (that would be me) besides the few that he got with his new wife.

Anyway, enough of that asshole.

On the first day, I drove around looking for a quiet housing area to park my car so that I could sleep. I found one place, and I spent the night sleeping in the car. It was a hot and humid night, and I couldn't sleep well. But I managed to catch a wink for few hours until the morning, and I drove off again. I was looking for a place to use my laptop to go online to find a job.

On the second day, I was back at the same spot the previous night to sleep again. Again, the weather was not being friendly because it was again hot and humid. I had trouble sleeping, and because I didn't sleep much the night before, my head was throbbing with pain. But I swallowed all that pain and forced myself to sleep.

Then, in the morning, I drove off to some shopping mall, took a few of my belongings and went into the washroom. I was lingering around until there was no one nearby, I took a big chunk of toilet paper and ran into the room. I used the hose to wash my hair, and then wet the toilet paper to wipe my body. It had been a few days since I took shower, and wiping myself clean was the only option at that time.

I came out from the washroom, and people were looking at me. I pretended that I didn't see, and I picked up my pace and ran towards the exit. I didn't need a mirror to know that the burning sensation on my face was me blushing. But I didn't have much choice.

At night, I went back to the same spot again. I almost passed out for not sleeping for 2 days before someone tapped on my car window loudly. There was a blinding light aimed at me and I panicked. I thought I was going to be robbed or something.

It turned out that the people at the housing area noticed my car for few continuous days, so they called the police.

I was being questioned, and they gave me a stern warning not to linger there anymore. I apologized profoundly, started the engine and sped off. It was 1232am that night, as I remember vividly. But I was too tired, and I didn't have much petrol left in my car, so I went to the nearest petrol station and parked my car there.

Before I could do anything, I collapsed...

And that was the first time ever since I moved out from my upscale apartment that I could sleep so soundly.