1 minute read
From Rags to Riches Ulises Olvera
From Rags to Riches
Shaq was walking home from school. He had a lot on his mind. His dad couldn’t afford a car after his mom died in the car accident. His family lived in a poor neighborhood. It was just him, his dad, and his older brother, Juan. They were very close and helped each other all the time, until Juan broke his neck while skateboarding. His dad couldn’t pay the medical bills so he put him in a homemade cast. It was raining as he walked, and he didn’t have an umbrella. When he got home he was wet as a sink.
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His dad was cooking dinner and all the sudden dropped his wallet on the stove’s burner. “That was the rest of our money!” Shaq’s dad shouted.
“Oof,” said Juan.
“I think I have a few bucks in my piggy bank,” Shaq replied. When they started eating, there was a knock at the door. It was just some random guy asking for a cup of sugar. “Really? This late?” Shaq told him that they didn’t have any and he strolled off.
Shaq went to bed very tired that night. “Ahhh,” he sighed with relief as he got into the cozy bed and drifted off to sleep like a sleepy puppy. In the morning, he was getting ready for school he found a very good note in the mail. It said, “Join Now to Win One Million Dollars in Cash! All you have to do is eat 10 burgers in 5 minutes!”
“Dad!” Shaq yelled. His dad came running quickly. “We gotta join now!”
“You joining, too?” he said in the rudest voice. “You know, everything I’ve ever joined I won. Oh! It’s right now! Goodbye!”
Shaq was worried. He ran all the way to the mall to compete in the contest.
“3—2—1—GO!” The contest was tough! Someone was almost done! Shaq used water to make the burgers go down faster.
He and the random guy were tied, 8 to 8!
By that time his dad was there to cheer him on. “Go, Shaq!” he cheered.
Shaq took one last bite…AND HE WON!
The money was in two duffle bags. They got home, went to sleep, woke up, and went on a shopping spree!
Ulises Olvera, Grade 4 Hilltop Elementary School, Henderson Teaching Artist: Stephen Peters
