"Mom, can we please go swimming?" I asked in a tone that made everything sound longer.
"Honey,I'm still busy can you please wait?" Answered my mother.
"Uhhhhhh. Its so boring,"I sighed," are you almost done?"
"No.Here,"she said handing me a wad of dollars and quarters,"go get us some sodas."
"But what do you want?"I asked in a hesitant voice.
"I don't care," my mother said waving her hand back at me from her big,gray computer chair,"just get out of the house!"

The door shut behind me. My mom was so frustrated that she shooed me away before I could get ready, so I stood there, barefoot and in my dirty pajamas. I went down our hollow gray steps as quietly as I could trying not to disturb our neighbors.When I got to the sidewalk, I heard my mom yell at the computer, slightly scared I ran down to the parking lot avoiding the dead leaves.


By the time I got to the parking lot, I had already decided to go next to the street because I was embarassed to go through the complex. I ran across the main driveway to the cold sidewalk. Once I got to the edge of the sidewalk I kept running as if I were in a race, I pretended the cars were other runners. At the corner I ran across the vacant street to the small bridge that crossed the creek.


Once across the bridge I walked calmly through the shade scratching my head underneath my uncombed hair and stepped on all the cracks. I walked along all the apartments and stepped over the cement panel that said "BILL LOVES RUTH".


I went around the lease office to where the soda machine was. I put a crumpled dollar into the big red box and pushed one of the faded buttons and listened to the can clamor down. I pushed the remainder of the money into the machine and pushed another unknown button. I took out both of the cans and got up off my knees and looked down at the creek and stepped across without getting wet and walked back up to the street. I stuck my head out from behind a little green car, looked both ways, even though I knew there was no cars, and ran across. I held the sodas tightly even though the temperature made my hands numb. As I walked a big, black minivan with a broken headlight and a dented door pulled up next to me. I was a little frightened and started to walk a little faster. The window slowly moved downward.


"Excuse me," said the man in the car, "young man do you have a place to stay tonight?"


"What?" I asked confused.


"Are you homeless?" asked the man once more.


I looked at him quizzically. He had black hair and a mustache. Although, he was a stranger he also looked very familiar. "Son, take some money," he stuck out his hand and tried to give me five dollars, "go ahead, take it."


"Sorry sir, I'm not homeless." I announced.


"Oh, sorry." the man said embarassed. He rolled up the window and I waited for the van to drive away before I ran back. I ran as fast as I could across the driveway, up the stairs, and back into my house.


That night in bed I thought about what happened and realized why the man thought I was homeless. He took my laziness and clothes as that of a homeless child.


I've definitely learned to respect those who are less fortunate than I and how to be grateful for what I have. This experience has inspired me to give to others more and be kind to those in pain. I wish to show as much care as the man who mistook me as a homeless person.