When I was a young child I got to go to the small nearby town of Valparaiso to spent the night with a classmate who had moved away. We had gone to St. Marks Catholic School together and our families lived only a couple of blocks apart in the Glen Park neighborhood of Gary, Indiana.
Her dad got a better job and one summer she left me.
She came from a huge Catholic family of 9 or 10 children. They had a big redwood pic-nic table in their dining room so her parents could seat everyone at dinner time. I thought that was so cool!
I remember her mother had to go away on 'retreats', to find the energy to go on, I realize now.
At the time I thought it was just a cool Mom vacation.
After begging to spend time together, our parents finally relented. I was so excited.
One summer night we got to giggle and carry on like no time had gone by, even tho it had been an entire school year.
The next day we were given permission to walk a few blocks to the small downtown.
Kids could do that stuff then.
Poking around in the Harvey's .5 and .10 she found a silly plastic purse on display that she had to have, but could not afford.
She was so upset when she counted her money.
But, she had a plan. She thought that she would switch the price tag with one that she could afford, and no one would know!
I told her I did NOT think that was a good idea, and only watched, having nothing to do with what she was doing. It made me nervous and I am sure we looked very, very guilty hiding behind the purse and belt rack whispering and looking around to make sure no one was watching.
Being silly little girls of course we got caught. The manager met us at the register and escorted us to his big office with huge chairs.
We were scared and crying and I knew her parents would be so mad at her! The manager told us we could go to PRISION for what 'we' had done! He said he really should call the police and have them take us right then!!! We cried even louder!
He called our parents, tho, and her dad showed up first since he was an attorney who worked just a couple doors down.
When he walked in, she fell into his arms crying uncontrollably..."Candy made me do it! It was all her idea!!"
I was horrified. In absolute disbelief. Surely she wasn't blaming me...His look at me told me all I needed to know.
I think my mother believed my story, but I never saw my friend again. She was allowed to make one last phone call and told me that her parents had decided I was not the type of friend she should have and that she was no longer allowed to call me. She never apologized. I was so very hurt.
I think now they must have been supervising the call.
The years went by and I never forgot that day. I never forgot her.
If she was on facebook I would tell her how much I hated her then for what she had done, and how much it hurt. But I would forgive her.
To this day, the idea of stealing makes me sick to my stomach.
Funny how those lessons in life stick with us.
She came from a huge Catholic family of 9 or 10 children. They had a big redwood pic-nic table in their dining room so her parents could seat everyone at dinner time. I thought that was so cool!
I remember her mother had to go away on 'retreats', to find the energy to go on, I realize now.
At the time I thought it was just a cool Mom vacation.
After begging to spend time together, our parents finally relented. I was so excited.
One summer night we got to giggle and carry on like no time had gone by, even tho it had been an entire school year.
The next day we were given permission to walk a few blocks to the small downtown.
Kids could do that stuff then.
Poking around in the Harvey's .5 and .10 she found a silly plastic purse on display that she had to have, but could not afford.
She was so upset when she counted her money.
But, she had a plan. She thought that she would switch the price tag with one that she could afford, and no one would know!
I told her I did NOT think that was a good idea, and only watched, having nothing to do with what she was doing. It made me nervous and I am sure we looked very, very guilty hiding behind the purse and belt rack whispering and looking around to make sure no one was watching.
Being silly little girls of course we got caught. The manager met us at the register and escorted us to his big office with huge chairs.
We were scared and crying and I knew her parents would be so mad at her! The manager told us we could go to PRISION for what 'we' had done! He said he really should call the police and have them take us right then!!! We cried even louder!
He called our parents, tho, and her dad showed up first since he was an attorney who worked just a couple doors down.
When he walked in, she fell into his arms crying uncontrollably..."Candy made me do it! It was all her idea!!"
I was horrified. In absolute disbelief. Surely she wasn't blaming me...His look at me told me all I needed to know.
I think my mother believed my story, but I never saw my friend again. She was allowed to make one last phone call and told me that her parents had decided I was not the type of friend she should have and that she was no longer allowed to call me. She never apologized. I was so very hurt.
I think now they must have been supervising the call.
The years went by and I never forgot that day. I never forgot her.
If she was on facebook I would tell her how much I hated her then for what she had done, and how much it hurt. But I would forgive her.
To this day, the idea of stealing makes me sick to my stomach.
Funny how those lessons in life stick with us.
