Clear Conscience

Author's Note: This is my creative writing prediction piece for  the story 'Thank you, M'am".  This is pretty much a piece that I wrote that shows that I predict that Roger will always remember the lesson that Mrs. Jones taught him.

With a sigh and a groan of his empty stomach, Roger stands up, brushes off his grubby jeans and trudges farther down the alley to the replenished dumpster. In the dumpster, an ocean of crumpled burger wrappers, dingy napkins, and flattened fry containers stare back at him.  A filthy, gunk ridden arm later, Roger evacuates his arm from the ocean of disgusting with little reward.  Roger stalks back to his makeshift 'home' in this rank New York alley and plops himself down to dine on his gourmet dumpster dinner.  The never ending stream of people 'on this New York city street amaze him; besides the general office worker clones, weird faces and frightening outfits flash by Roger all throughout the day.   So many people, all of them have so much money and wealth and they won't share it with you?  Greedy jerks.  What if I just took some random old ladies purse?  She could be as good as dead, walking along this busy city street with a purse full of retirement money and goodies.  Immediately, Roger shakes the thought out of his head.  No, Mrs. Jones taught you better.  She taught you that stealing from people that work hard is daffy, and you will look like a fool if you are ever caught by a merciless soul.  Roger slumps further down in his seat while releasing a breath he didn't know that he was holding.  For yet another freezing night, Roger sits alone at dusk with an empty pocket, but guilt free conscience.