Birthday surprises

   I sat up from my bed. I could smell the breeze of a fresh new day, from the small patch of grass that had grown up by my bed this spring to the morning dew that settled on the grass outside the tent.

   Mom and dad have been trying to make themselves there own private tent but that idea came up four or so years ago so no guarantees. 

   Mom had already started the fire pit by our camp, the smell of dry fiery smoke filled the air. My nose was going wild! What was this smell it smelled sweet, but salty goodness. Mom called me over to see what it was. I took a seat on the old rug that had lasted us so very many years. And peered into the pot. It was soup! We never have soup! 

  Soup is made up of so many ingredients that mom can never find. Mom handed me the hot bowl of steaming soup. I could feel my stomach doing backflips as she handed it to me. The warmth of the soup filled me up quickly, on normal days—not today—we normally sit on the street waiting for a bread roll to be passed our way but having soup was a rare occasion. 

   My birthday was in one month so I kinda ask mom if I could just have my presents early. 

   “No!” She snapped and flung her hair for no good reason. Whenever mom gets mad she flings her hair wildly and snaps, it scares me when she gets that way so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Mom gasped when she returned from the post office with a letter that had a smooth red stamp on it it looked so pretty. 

   “What is it?” I ask curiously 

   “You’ll have to find out on your birthday!” Her grin was so big that I wanted to look away. 

   I walked off to the old junkyard it was my place I go when I’m bored. It has all sorts of interesting things plus it has the school close by. I like to sit in the red mustang by the school and watch the kids my age talk, play, laugh together because that’s something I never had I just do pretty much the same thing every single day. I don’t want to leave home though. I sat and watched the kids play for hours before deciding to go  home. 

   Days flew by like smoke from a fire. It was the day before my birthday when I would turn fourteen, I actually don’t really want to get older cause once I get old enough I think mom and dad are going to leave me or make me get a job which is hard work. The reason why my family is so poor is because my uncle Joe came over for a visit when I was about two months old and he some how managed to sell our house and buy himself whatever his heart desired but shortly after he died, the whole house selling thing all happed while my mom and dad were on there first date as a married couple since I was born. So I had two moths of my life to enjoy luxury then uncle JOE had to ruin it all for me now I live in a tent on the side of birdstreet across from an ABC store! Though my parents did a pretty good job of hiding out home.

   I walked as slow as possible to the tent. Our tent was made up of many different rugs, blankets, poles and other random things you’ll find laying around. The beds were old mattresses we found in the dumpster last year, I’m glad we have mattresses instead of hard cold dirt. I was walking so slow because dad was taking a reeeeeaaaaaly long nap, it was not a nap. 

   I decided I’d take a nap too… 

   I woke in the morning to the nudge of mom. Mom’s grin was so big it was like her face shriveled up into her smile. 

   “What.” I groaned plainly. I didn’t really expect anything important for my birthday this year. I sat up to see dad grinning too! “What!” I shouted through the foggy air. 

   “I think there supposed to be here in about a week.” Dad said still grinning. 

   “Where, who?” I ask watching the swirls of mist come from all our noses in the morning fog. 

   “Ok, what is it your so excited about?” I ask. Mom handed me the letter she had picked up from the post office. I read the letter out loud

   Lilac— 

                  I have exiting news for you, my neighbor next door has an empty room after his mother passed away, Kane dose not like empty spaces. 

So he invited You to go live there for the summer But you have to help with chores. 

   It will take them about a two weeks to get to you there 

            Love

                  Aunt Mirrie 

   I looked at mom and dad “Did you say yes?” I ask. Mom and dad both nodded in sync. “And what dose she mean by getting here in two weeks? It could take two days!” I shouted in confusion.  

   I sat in my bed thinking for a good while. I wondered what Mr. Kane would look like, smell like and what did the letter mean by they? 

   I sat there for hours staring at the tent. It would be disappointing if they came all the way out here and I changed my mind, but that’s really what I’m thinking about. 

   I returned to the junkyard to watch the kids play and to wash away my bad thoughts. I sat in the green lush grass the morning dew making my skirt barely damp I waited there in the red mustang for the day to pass. 

   I returned home after dark, because I had fallen asleep. I slept by the fire pit for the night…