I watch the children pass by, they were all wearing spectacles and looked nerdy except me. 'Will I look like a nerd if I wear spects too?' I ask myself. They look and smirk at me, I hug myself in order to hide my old, torn and ragged clothes. Why do people stare at me as if I'm an alien? Am I not a human being like them? Apart from their expensive apparels, why can't they spare me a coin?

        I run to my shabby shack and find my mom busy counting the cents she collected, over and over again.

        "Mom," I interrupt her. "Do you think you can get me a pair of spectacles for my birthday, for once?"

        She looks at me in disbelief: "Do you even think we have enough money to afford supper?" she asks.

        I turn and head towards the ragged mat, I should sleep or I'll get hungrier. Tears roll down my cheek unexpectedly, is it because of the grief or guilt? 'No' I try to comfort myself, 'It's probably because of the heat'. I close my eyes and save the only 'cleanest' water I have.

        I wake up by the golden light that pours onto my face. And by the smell I realize that we have a decent breakfast today. My mom brings a bowl of nettle soup to me, I've never felt so rich!

         "Is this my present, mom? Nettle soup?" I ask happily.

        She shakes her head and places a closed dish in front of me. "There's more if you want," she says and leaves the shack. As I finish, I get hungry for more. I wonder if she had her breakfast. I reach out for the dish and open it. My eyeS widen with joy. Instead of finding the delicious soup, I find my present---

A Pair Of Spectacles.