A Childhood Memory

True story:

It was growing dusk in my small prairie hometown. The cars and pickups that had lined Main Street on both sides were gone. Everyone home for supper I suppose. I don’t know why my friend (or was it a cousin - or was I alone?) and I were in Mr. Brock’s grocery store just before he closed at six. But there we were. We were skulking - as much as two six year old’s could skulk (or were we seven). This is a memory so some of the details are kind of wavery. It must have been fall, because I was wearing a coat. Seems to me it was brown. And there it was. A bag of candy tempting me. But it was too big to slip into my pocket, so I slid it down my coat sleeve. My mistake? I chose a bag of candy with the crinkliest, noisiest cellophane on the shelf. But I was six? What did I know? We walked, very casually I’m sure, to the door to leave. We had to get home for supper or we’d really be in trouble (I still think it was two of us). Mr. Brock's voice boomed - I'm sure it boomed - from behind the till:

‘Susan, what have you got there?’

‘Nothing’

I’m sure there was more conversation but the only things I remember after that was the choice I had to make. Mr. Brock did suggest I go home and tell my mom and there’d be nothing said - or maybe he said he call mom and let her know what happened. I think that’s when I started to cry and said that I didn’t want to - I couldn’t……

‘Well then, I could call the Mounties (they were stationed a block away) to take you home to your mother.’

Then I really caved in. I desperately didn’t want to be seen in the back of a police car! It was a small town. Everyone would know! (Maybe I was by myself?) So, the next part of this memory is sitting in the living room with mom. What was said I do not recall, but I do remember a feeling of compassion. Did mom have a difficult time keeping a straight face? Probably. 

 I discovered two things from that black day in 1953 or was it fall of 1952?

        1. A life of crime was not for me.

        2. Panic attacks me when I have to speak up for myself with people in authority.

By the way, I didn’t even like the candies I appropriated - does anyone remember Chicken Bones? Yuck!

“The truth.” Dumbledore sighed. “It is a beautiful and 

terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution.”

~ J.K.Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone