Once upon a time, there was a girl, her name was Michaela. She grew up hoping for all things great. Education, home, love, laughter…you know, the usual. But life has an amazing way of changing what you had planned to becoming a whole different kettle of fish…

Have you ever been so scared all you can do is cry? Michaela has. It was July 2008.  She had just turned 19, yet she was in the homeless section at the council office.  She didn’t know what to expect. Friends? Enemies? She didn’t let her fear show when they called her name to allocate her new home. Temporary accommodation.

With just one hold all and enough money to catch the bus there, off on her adventure she went. Alone.  She was right to be scared. People arguing, fighting, trying to scrap over a tab end. Blokes reeking of cider trying to take me ‘under their wing’. No wonder so many people in there were diagnosed with depression.
Staying in a room with a television that had two channels. A broken bed and a boiler.  But deep down Michaela knew she was worth more than this. She did deserve the laughter love and the home.

After being moved into another B&B closer to her family she decided enough was enough. She dusted off the thoughts that dragged her down.  She knew she had to do it herself. Live life for her, not the stereotypical ways of the world or the media influenced propaganda. That’s when she started looking for work and decided the best course of action was to register with an employment agency until she finally got a job.

She had a goal and she thrived to succeed in it. She didn’t want to be one of the little people anymore or a statistic, she wanted to shine. She got an interview, her first one. She got bathed and changed in her room ready for the interview and walked all the way to the company building. Nothing was going to stand in her way of making something of herself. She went into the boxed office and came out feeling worthy and excited to know if she had got the job or not. The next day a call informed her she was requested to attend a second interview for them to ‘analyse’ her more. She had no experience in the position you see.

So once again she trotted off on her little journey to attend her second interview, the decider. She tried to sell herself as much as she could.  She would have got down on her knees if they asked her too but the lovely woman didn’t give her need to. She offered her the job… a Credit Controller. It sounded so posh, so elegant, so surreal and it was all hers, she had done it. What she intended to do all along she had finally achieved it.

She may only have put her first foot on the ladder but at least she was back on it.  As soon as she found out about the job she packed all her belongings up and decided to move back home where she could save enough money to rent her own place. Life began there. All the badness, the scariness, the worry and the tears was worth it because now she was going to possibly get that happily ever after.

Her happy ending.

And personally I hope she does.. because that girl, is me.

Kayla Needham

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