In Bud, not Buddy, Bud was late for breakfast at the mission. How does he get to eat anyway?It must restate the question.

Chapter six is the part of this novel you want to re-read to find the answer to this question. It starts with Bud waking up and realising that he has been asleep too long and might miss out on breakfast. He tries to get into the line, but a man challenges him and stops him from doing so, and when, typically, Bud tries to talk his way into the line, the man actually threatens Bud with a beating. At this stage, fortunately, a mother and father with a son come over to him and "adopt" him, calling him Clarence and pretending that he is there son and therefore allowing him to join him in line and get his breakfast. Bud thus gains what he calls a "pretend family" that helps him and even shares their brown sugar with him - real generosity in such a difficult time.