Walking in My Shoes

Once, in a small town, lived a small town girl named Isabelle. She wore a dirty flannel, ripped up jeans, and torn up shoes. She lived on a farm away from most civilization. She had not many friends, and kept to herself a lot of the time. Isabelle was enrolled in a public school, however never fit in with the other kids. They weren't really "her style" as she liked to say. She considered her farm animals more friends than those who went to her school. She was cloe with her mom who was diagnosed with cancer since Isabelles birth. All her life she has been taking care of her mother and helping her father around the farm. Her father was always working so that they could keep their farm. When he wasn't working, he was drinking heavily in his Lazy Boy chair. Isabelle had no siblings, and often found herself feeling lonely. But the farm animals helped sometimes with that. One day when Isablle awoke, her dad had told her that they would be hiring some farm help. The load was to muhc for him and Isabelle to take by themselves. Isabelle was super excited becasue now someone else would be around to keep her company. When she found out who the farm help was, her excitment quickly faded. Her dad showed her a picture of the new farm help. It was another girl about Isabelle's age. She had pin straigh hair, earings, necklaces, and any other jewlery you could think of. She had a dress on with little heels that went along with it. In a better lack of words, she was a barbie look-a-like who seemed to have never stepped foot on a farm in her life. Isabelle was a bit confused but never seemed to judge her by appearence. The farm helps name was Riely. Riely was booked to come help the following week. So that week arrives and its the big day for Rielys arrival. Isabelle, nervous, but excited, is cleaning up around the farm. Her dad asks her politely to treat Riley like family and make her feel welcome. Soon, a black limmo pulls up. A screaming, crying girl gets out of the back of the limmo. She did not want to come onto the farm. Isabelles nerves took over her excitement. Rileys mom drags her unto the farm and hands her off to Isabelles dad. Still crying Riley refused to say hello and her mother apologized for her behavior. Isabelle introduced herself to the other girl but she didnt not seem any intrested in what ISabelle had to say. Rileys mom said that Riley needed to learn to work for herslef and that is the reason she sigend her up to help on the farm. ISabelles dad thanked her and took Riley inside to calm down. Riley ate some food and tried to rest for the big work she had ahead of her. The following day came and Riley still didn't talk much at all. Isabelle was sure that the night before Riley had cried herself to sleep. None the less, Isabelle wanted to be welcoming and tried to start small talk with Riley to brighten the mood. So she started talking about the animals and what she usually does in a days work to make sure they are all taken care of. Riley then bursts out of frustration, "Can you be quiet! I came here to work, not make friends." Isabelle, tears in her eyes, quit talking and continued to work. The day went by, to what Isabelle felt like eternity, and the girls cleaned up for supper. Isabelled dad made them hamburgers and hotdogs to which Riley, who was used to eating sea food, and veggies, started to cry and complain to Isabelles father that this is not how anyone should live. She excused herself and went to bedroom. The following day Isabelle and Riley woke up to noises coming from the room Isabelles mother stayed in. Isabelle ran in the room to make sure she was okay. She saw her mother coughing into a white napkin that soon turned red. Riley, who never walked into the room completely saw this happen from peeking behind the door. Isabelle started to panick and ran to find her father outside. When she found her father they both ran back to the house. When they entered the house she no longer heard the coughing. They went to the room and found Riley standing beside the dead mothers bed with tears streaming down her face. "She is no longer alive," she remarked trying to say the words without choking up. Isabelles father fell to his knees, Isabelle by his side, and they both sobbed. Riley stood watching as if they were making a puddle of tears before her feet. She soon regretted being rude to both Isabelle and her father. She was unaware of the situation with her mother and thought to her self "if only i had put myself in her shoes, i would've never acted the way i did." After the crying had stopped all three of them went to lie down. Riley and Isabelle shared a room. Rily could'nt help but hear Isabelle trying to hold back crying as they lay there. Riley put her pride beside her and started talking to Isabelle. "I'm sorry about what happened, I had no ide-" "You had no idea becasue you never let me speak to you, you walked up to our farm as if you has seen hell for the first time. You made my father feel silly for feeding you somethign as simple as a hamburger but little did you care to know my mother used to do all the cooking and when she fell too ill my father started cooking. And he cooks his hamburgers and hotdogs best and wanted to cook them for you so you'd like them. And not to mention as soon as i made small talk with you, you shut me down as if you contain more worth than me. And now that you have seen my mother die at your side you feel bad for me. You even got to stay with her for her last breath while i was fetching my father. You don't get to feel bad for me now. Just go back to the mansion you came from. Me and my father kept up with this farm for years. We don't need help now." She turned over so she was facing away from Riley and continued to cry silently. Riley felt horrible, and she knew she deserved ervyhing that was said to her. And she only wished that she would've put herself in Isabelles shoes before she had opened her mouth.