I know lying is wrong. I know stealing from others is wrong. I learned it all in the bathroom mirror when I was seven.
“Ding, ding!” sang the bell on the Popsicle truck. “Ding, ding”.
I ran for home to ask Mom, “Can I buy a popsicle?”
“No, “ Mom says. “We’re going to have dinner in a few minutes.” She turns back to the hot stove, working hard to get everything ready before Dad gets home from work. She’s not paying attention to me as I crawl up on the piano bench and slip a quarter from her purse.
I run as fast as I can to the corner where the popsicle truck has stopped. The tinkley music plays as I give the man the quarter. “I want a cherry bomb” I tell him. I blow into the paper cover and tear the paper away. I have to quickly start licking the icy cherry bomb as it drips and melts in the hot August sun. I gobble it down as I walk back to the house.
Daddy drives up and after he puts his lunch box and thermos on the counter Mom calls us to dinner. As we sit down at the table everyone is looking at me. Mom takes one look at me as asks, “Teri, did you get a popsicle after I told you no?”
“No, Mom”, I say as I shake my head. Does she know? How could she know? Nobody saw me.
“Look at me. Are you sure you didn’t eat a popsicle?”
“Uh,uh” I say, as my eyes widen and my head drops.
“Okay” she says. “Go look in the bathroom mirror”. What? I slowly scoot my chair back and walk down the hall to the bathroom. As I stand on my tiptoes and peer into the mirror I know I am in big trouble. My lips and chin are stained cherry bomb red! My brother and sister are silent, eyes big and heads down.
“Oh boy, I’m really going to get it now” I think as I sit back at the table.
“Now, says Mom. “Did you eat a popsicle before dinner?”
“Yea” I whisper.
“Where did you get the money?” Mom demands.
There was no use lying now - double trouble! “Out of your purse”, I mumble, afraid to speak any louder. I know what I did was wrong. I was excused from the table to go wash my hands and face and wait in my room for what would come next.
I’m lucky my parents loved me enough to teach me right from wrong. Instead of the spanking I deserved my parents shared their disappointment in my behavior and high expectations for future behavior with me. They helped me become a more responsible person.
I know lying is wrong. I know stealing from others is wrong. I learned it all in the bathroom mirror.
Teri again I love your pieces. I felt the shame that you were feeling as you were lying through your cherry stained chin! I think the second to the last paragraph could use some revising. For me, it didn't seem to fit. I know what you are trying to say is important, but it doesn't go with the flow.
ReplyDeleteThis is very well done. There does not seem to be any parts that I can say leaves the reader confused. Its easy to read and it flows well. If I was you and was going to revise this, perhaps the beginning could have more details. Its short but does not leave any ambiguity. I just think it could be a bit longer. Other than that this was such a good example of how not just you but almost any child lives through a major learning experience at home.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your writing - great word choice and very descriptive. I always feel like I'm experiencing the moment.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to agree with Jesika. I don't think you need that second to last paragraph or at least write what happened in first person like the rest of the story. I know you are trying to tell what the consquences are but it just doesn't fit.
Oh, and I really like how you repeated the beginning paragraph at the end.