Author – Charles
Three workman had climbed up onto a roof to repair it when they noticed their ladder was gone. They spotted a homeless guy placing it on the floor next to their truck. “Put that ladder back” they shouted. “Give me some money” he said. They threatened to call the police but couldn’t as they had left their phones in the truck. After an hour they where still stuck on the roof as the homeless guy sat drinking alcohol on the hood of their truck. They eventually relented and offered him money when they get down. “Throw the money down first” he shouted to them. “Money is too light, it will blow away, put the ladder back and we’ll give you some money” He told them to put the money in something heavy but they said they had nothing heavy. “Yes you have, put the money in a boot and throw it down. The youngest workman took off a boot and he tucked a $10 bill in the lacing. He then threw his boot down to the ground. The homeless guy picked up the boot and removed the bill. “Is that it” he said demanding more. They decided to give him another $10 and told the younger workman to take off his other boot. “I’m not throwing another down he might steal my boots”. Another removed a boot, placed a bill in the lacing and threw it down. The homeless guy still wasn’t happy and wanted more, they where stranded on the roof and he had the ladder and two odd boots. They where in no position to argue and the last fully shod worker reluctantly removed one of his boots. Two $10 bills where tucked into the lace and he threw his boot at the homeless guy. “That’s better” said the guy as he put all four bills in his pocket. His attention turned to the three odd boots which he had placed on the hood of the truck. Winter was coming and his sneakers where old and worn, so he took off his left sneaker and started trying on each workman’s boot. One of the stranded workers shouted “Put the god damn ladder back and don’t put your foot in our boots”. The homeless guy ignored them and tried each boot as the three workman looked on helpless. He lifted up a black boot and shouted up “I want to try on the other boot” as if he was asking a worker in a shoe shop. The younger workman said “Now he wants my boots”. The guy shouted up “Make sure it comes down with money in it”. The workmen thought he would deliberately demand each of their remaining boots separately wanting more money every time. They where determined not to give him any more or the opportunity so they took off their remaining boots and through them down without any money. “Wheres my money” he said. “We ain’t giving you anymore and we have no more boots to throw down even if we wanted to”. The workmen watched on helplessly in their socked feet as the guy tried on their boots. He kept on the young workman’s boots and placed the other two pairs in his plastic bags aswell as his old sneakers. “Put the ladder back up” a workman shouted but the guy lifted his hand in the air and gave the finger. He walked off with their money and boots.
It was reported in the local newspaper next day that three workmen where rescued after spending six hours stranded on a roof shoeless after being robbed of money and their footwear.