“Hey son, ahheck!”

“Uhm… You okay mister?” The shy school boy approached the old man cautiously. He was sitting on a cardboard throne, dressed in old clothes stolen from bags outside of charity shops.

“I just wanted to ask ya kid, if ya got any change?” The homeless man outstretched his hand, leaning forward and showing a glimpse of a dark yellow smile. The boy checked both to his left and his right, nobody was around.

“Umm, let me check.” Upon first inspection, the boy pulled nothing from his pockets. The homeless man’s smile didn’t fade but he winced, he’s experienced enough rejection every day for years without people sugar coating it by pretending they have nothing. “Oh!” To the old man’s surprise, the boy pulled out 50p in spare change.

“Is that for me?” The boy gave an excited smile and placed the money into his hand which the man then put in his tattered tweed jacket. The homeless man motioned lifting his hat for the boy and laughed heartily. “Will you be here again tomorrow?”

The boy smiled.