Dear Diary that I Don't Have,

Today, a white man came to my school. I couldn’t believe it, they really never come around here. And if they do, they don’t say nothing to us, they just look at us like we are boogie monsters. But this man was different, he asked me lots of questions, mostly about my home. I says to him that at home it is just me, my mom, and baby brother, and that my daddy died of some sickness last year. But, then Johnny told me it was last week, although he knows nothing because it’s not his daddy. The man then asked me what I do at home, and I tolds him that I normally take care of my baby brother cause my mommy’s doing what she can to feed us. And that while she isn’t home, I gots to take care of him and make us food, which is hard cause we don’t always got food in my house. But, I told the man that we are lucky ones compared to most cause we actually have a house with a working kitchen and two separate rooms, so I get my own. Then he asked me about school. He asked me if I liked it and I tolds him I was not there most of the time cause I had to take care of my baby brother. And he still kept asking me questions about school, and I told him when I am there I usually don’t get to use any of the books or equipment cause the kids who are there more than me already are using them. He then asks me if I knew my teacher’s name and I told him that I had no clue cause last time I was there is it was a new lady. He finally stopped talking about school then, but asked me if my mom ever bought me books or any pen and paper. I told him he was crazy cause there is no way my mom would buy me books or anything else to practice school at home, when we gots no food and my baby brother needs to be looked after. He told me he was sorry and I didn’t understand why. I says to him that that is okay cause mommy says all I have to do is the best I can to get from day to day and one day I will have a family too. And she said that I will be good with a family cause I already take care of my baby brother. Once the man left though, I got to thinking about somethings, like I really don’t understand why I even go to school, even when my mommy is home with my baby brother. I don’t ever learn anything at school, I never get to use any of the books and I am not sure I could even read any of them anyway. And it made me think of the onetime my daddy said school was going to get better, but I think that was part of his sickness cause I still don’t understand what school is supposed to do for me. Oh well, it doesn’t matter anyway, the only thing that is important is taking care of my baby brother cause he is crying now.