After
Taylor Road Primary school Royce attended Judgemeadow College in Evington Leicester
where he became even more popular. He'd turned into a right little joker by now
and loved to play the fool and be centre of attention. On more than one occasion
I would get a call from the deputy head to say he was being sent home as he was
disrupting the class. I would wait for him, ready to give him a good telling off,
then he would come in with that wicked smile on his face and tell me his side
of the story and I would find it very hard to keep a straight face. I was so soft
with him, I know I shouldn't have been, he ran circles around me all the time.
Royce would have sleepovers with out even telling me. I would come home from work to find half a dozen or more of his friend in makeshift sleeping bags all over the house. I would be treading on crisp packets, knocking over cans of pop. Then I would be ordered to my bedroom with a cup of tea so they could watch a video. Me like an idiot would oblige but to be truthful I would rather have my son in the house with a dozen friends than out on the streets. I remember once when he was about 13 he'd gone out and hadn't come home, I was frantic as he would always phone to tell me he would be late, I was looking all over for him. It was nearly 5-o-clock in the morning before he knocked the door asking me to pay the taxi. I was so glad to see him yet fuming at the same time. It all turned to smiles and laughter when he told me he'd been stuck in a lift with his mates for hours and had to wait until the fire brigade hoisted them all out.
On a Sunday after the big sleepover it was always off to one of the theme parks. I would have to squeeze all of them in the car Royce refused to leave anyone behind. Once when I had a hatchback car I took the back shelf off and put 2 of them in the boot when we reached the gates I covered them over with the shelf so we didn't have to pay for them. Sometimes we would get to the park just before midday and we would wait until 2-o-clock when it was half price to get in then the lads would go crazy trying to get on each ride (twice) before closing.
IF
ANY OF YOU LADS HAVE ANY PICS OF THESE DAYS PLEASE LET ME HAVE THEM. Royce
was very loyal to his friends and apart from being the joker he was always there
to listen to their problems and to help out if he could. ( Or he would come and
ask me!!!)
He
was beginning to give me problems now. He wouldn't listen to me and we had lots
of shouting matches but he would always say sorry. One time I literally threw
him out of the car as he was being rude and cheeky and upsetting me. I made him
walk home. I don't know how he managed to arrive home before me but he was there
waiting with a big 'Sorry mum' He
wasn't a kissy person but he always said bye before he went out and he was always
asking 'You ok mum'
He could be emotional too, He was never afraid to show his tears when he was frustrated or upset.
FED UP
He would come into my bedroom and lay on top of the bed, then fall asleep watching TV. I would never wake him, I would just squeeze in under the duvet and try not to disturb him. I don't no why he woke me enough times. Like the time I'd bought him a scrambler bike and he was pushing it up the hill, it was late and the police stopped him thinking he'd stolen it. Bang bang on the door and there was Royce along with 2 police officers and bike, they bought him home in a police van. Royce was grinning 'well at least it saved me pushing it up the hill' he said.
I
was never happy until I knew Royce was tucked up in bed. Even in his late teens
I would never sleep properly while he was out, I always had a feeling something
was going to happen to him. I
don't seem to have any pics from this part of his life. He was going through his
teen years, he didn't stand still long enough and I suppose having a picture done
with is mum was naff.
Royce was a joker at home as well as at school. He would get me dancing the latest dance with him or get me rapping to some tune or other usually with swear words in too. Me like a fool would do it, then he would call me crazy. I was banned from his bedroom, it was always a mess and I would wait until he'd gone out then go in and blitz it. He would come in and get all tough and pretend to tell me off 'You've been in my bedroom mum what have I told you' and he would pretend to be mad then say 'Not really mum' It was then I realized he was growing up, he'd gone through his shouting, miserable, ignorant stage and was now growing into a young man who had a lot of love to give. He was clever, articulate and as sharp as a knife. He was warm witty and he had a good heart. He left school with 6 GCSE's, not good grades I'm afraid mostly D's. I know he could have done alot better so did his teachers, he never studied once, if he had have done I know they would've been all A's.
Although he'd calmed down alot I still had problems getting through to him and making him see how important it was to get an education. Spare the rod and spoil the child, It was too late I'd already spoilt him.
LAST
DAY AT JUDGEMEADOW Go to Gallery 3