Little Gray Hoodie Coat

Homeless - - Chicago 1993

My sister Lillie and I live with my mother Lillian. My father, Darryl McDaniel, was really mean to my mother and us, so we ran away from him. He drinks a lot, and falls down. He used to be nice. I don’t know what happened because he changed. He became scary. I’m glad my mother divorced him, but I’m sad we don’t see him no more.

We live in our grey and silver, Toyota Van in the back of Mr. and Mrs. Sharma’s gas station. They are from India, and talk India style English. When they talk, their voices sound like music and that makes me smile. I like them a lot because they are nice to us. I looked up the meaning of their name on the computer at school. Sharma is a name from India and it means Shelter. I thought, “How nice!” When they found out we are homeless, they looked sad. Mrs. Sharma told her husband to let us use the back of the station to park the Van; and Mr. Sharma said, “Yes, we will do that.” They leave the station wash room open so we can use it. There are lights back there too, so we won’t get scared at night.

Before we got to stay in back of the gas station, we sometimes stayed in a shopping mall, a parking lot or the park. Once the police came, rapped on our Van door with a stick, and made us move. We stayed under a subway train bridge once too. It was dark and spooky under there. I was glad when morning came. Ma never parked there again. She always says, “Thank God for Mr. and Mrs. Sharma!”

We each have sleeping bags. Me and my sister sleep in the back of the Van. In the winter, Ma puts two thick comforters over us to keep us extra warm. My mother sleeps on the second row, bench seat. Lillie made us laugh once when we were about to go to sleep. She said, “Our bedroom is baaad! I bet you all the kids would like to have a Van bedroom like ours with their own private bathroom outside the door. And, it goes with us wherever we go.” That was so funny. I agree with Lillie, we have the badest, most tight bedroom of all.

Tomorrow is April 28, 1993, my birthday, and I will be 7 years old. My sister Lillie is 5. Tomorrow we get to sign up to stay at the Augustus Tolton Shelter for The Homeless. Ma found out about the Shelter when she met Mr. Jackson at the Dollar Store where she works part-time. When he learned that she was homeless, he told her about the Augustus Tolton Shelter where he works. He said he would see what he could do to get her in. Ma said she felt Mr. Jackson was a very kind man from the very first time they met. That was two months ago. Today, Mr. Jackson told my mother to come and sign in tomorrow.

Ma said we will like it at the Shelter because we won’t have to worry about the weather and being safe. She also said we will have beds to sleep in, a place to shower, and food. Don’t get me wrong. My mother always takes good care of us no matter where we stay.

I don’t know what Ma has planned for my birthday, but she always makes it special. She doesn't have very much money. So, I know not to expect too much; but I will like whatever she does.