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I came into this world on a crisp, December evening, 1989. Born to my mother Céleste and my father Pierre in a cold, rundown townhouse in Le Marais. "Kay," they called me. "Kay Sera." Neither of them had been very well in the head, so this unfortunate moniker I attribute to their subaltern mental condition. My childhood was questionable at best, and as far back as I can remember, I had been stealing bread and cigarettes for my family. "Emprunt," or "loan", they called it. I was young, impressionable, and without an opportunity to know any better. Shortly after my 12th birthday, my Mother, bless her soul, died of an apparent heroin overdose. Wether or not this was intentional eludes me to this day, but I can only hope that she has found peace in the next life. My Father followed shortly after. He was an alcoholic, you see, and his long deteriorated liver had finally swallowed it's last drop of cognac. Following this, it was decided I would be put in the care of my aunt and uncle in Vancouver, Canada. It was then that I had finally been given the opportunity of a name change. My uncle blessed me with a new identity, "Darren," aptly named after their first son who had died in infancy. Still, The city was a much needed change of environment for me, although, I admit, it was still far from encouraging. My new guardians lived life with a devil-may-care attitude, and so from a very ripe age I had learned to care for myself. High school was the next big step in my life. However, my new-found independence assisted me through this difficult time. I had my circle of friends, but I knew I would never be part of the "in" crowd. It's around this time I was diagnosed with major clinical depression. Hardly surprising. Still, as much as I attempted not to follow in my parents footsteps, I ended up turning to drugs and alcohol for support. My friends were already deep in their habits, so I was never offered the leg up to quit my addiction. Now, here I am today, still trying to decide how I should spend the rest of my life. Should I become a doctor? A politician? Or, maybe I should just assimilate myself into the common drudgery of blue-collar life, reliving the endless cycle of work, sleep, and television. Nevertheless, no matter which path I choose, through my experiences in this world I have learned that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. |
