THIEF! (Or TAKING CANDY) (1958)
1998-03-31-247
ESSAY Personal #018
THIEF! (Or TAKING CANDY) (1958)
The year was 1958. That fall, I was 12 years old and had been a Christian for two years. My mother had just gotten me a brand new reversible jacket – black on one side and red on the other. I remember being so cold in that blue jean denim jacket I had, I begged my mother to get me a warmer one. I was so proud of that jacket. I could put my books inside of it and put my hands in the pockets to keep them warm.
Now the school I went to was a very small community school out in the country. There were three rooms to the school: the “Big Room”, which was traditionally taught by the man, consisted of the 5th through the 8th grade. The “Little Room” was traditionally taught by the wife, consisted of the 1st through the 4th grade. The third room was the gym which doubled as a theater and auditorium. Ong School averaged about 30 students. There was no High School. For that we had to go to Wewoka or New Lima.
We had a tradition at Ong. The Eighth graders sold candy all year out of a little closet store in order to go to Springlake Park in Oklahoma City for the “Eighth Grade Trip”. The proceeds from the candy financed everything: The rides, the candy, and all the other things that went with it.
There were only two of us in the 8th Grade. An Indian girl named Fannie Johnson, and me. We took turns running the candy store. Since there were only two of us in the 8th grade, we spent many hours minding “The Store.” Every day I looked at that candy and my mouth drooled. I began looking at all that candy. Tootsie rolls, my favorite, Snicker Bars, Peanut Butter Bars, Chocolate Three Musketeers, Milky Way Bars, you name it, we sold it. It became so tempting I couldn’t stand it any longer. I made a plan.
One day after school I took extra time cleaning up the store. I thought no one would notice, since I was the only one there. I put a few bars in my new jacket and zipped up the front. After all, It was cold outside. I looked some more and thought about it. I was starving. In those days, I refused to eat supper at home anyway. I put some more candy in my jacket and zipped it up a little higher.
I did it a third time, then a fourth. Then I began putting dozens of candy bars in my new jacket. I pulled that zipper up as high as it would go. That jacket was bulging as much as if I’d had my books in it. Then it struck me. What about my books? This would just have to be one night I’d leave my books at school. No one would ever know.
I locked the closet door, and began to walk away. Mr. Germany startled me as he seemed to appear from nowhere. Just as he came by he dropped some papers on the floor. I tried to walk on by quickly.
My blood froze in my veins, as he said, “Larry, I can’t possibly pick up all that by myself. Would you help me pick them up please”?
My heart sank. I was caught red-handed. I knew what would happen when I tried to bend over. You guessed it. As I bent over to help him, a Tootsie Roll fell out of my coat. I quickly reached over to pick it up and a Payday fell out. Then several fell. The more I picked up, the more fell out. All that candy – spilled right onto the floor. It just kept coming. The more I bent over, the more came out. Soon Mr. Germany was helping me pick up my candy. I had to think of something quick.
“I was just taking a few home. I was going to pay for them tomorrow.” A lie.
Mr. Germany knew the lie for what it was. Mr. Germany seemed pretty cavalier. He said, “Larry, the candy is already yours. Take as much as you want. You don’t need to ask. It’s yours to begin with. But remember that the profits go toward your 8th grade trip and if there’s not enough money, you can’t go to Springlake.”
I offered to put it back. “No, Larry. You wanted it, you take it. It’s yours. You’ve already locked the closet.”
He helped me stuff the candy back into my jacket. I had to put both hands in the pockets to keep any more from falling out. Case closed, right? Not exactly. I just knew he was going to tell my Mother. She’d just kill me. I knew it. Maybe Mr. Germany wouldn’t call and tell her after all. However, we lived in a four room 800 square foot house. There was no place to hide it. Maybe I could eat it all and she’d never find out. Yeah, that was it. I forgot about trying to hide it.
By the time my mother came in from work I was getting pretty full. I still had a lot of candy spread out on my bed, and had no idea where to put my treasure. I was caught again.
You have to know my mother. She was the wisest, smartest woman on the face of the earth. I began by telling her Mr. Germany gave it to me. Another lie. I could never lie to my mother. I had to tell her the truth.
After confessing, I was relieved. Even if Mr. Germany did call her, she would already know. I had already lied twice in addition to stealing. Now I had to face the consequences.
She was like Solomon. Her decision was gruesome. “Okay, Larry, this is what you’ll have to do. That candy will be your supper every night until it’s gone. When it’s all gone, you can come back to the supper table.”
I wasn’t hungry for supper that night. I was very sick. To this day, I don’t eat much candy. I lost my taste for it, and I have never been tempted to steal food again.
To add insult to injury, since there were only two of us in the 8th grade, Mr. Germany announced that we would have to take the 7th graders with us on our trip since there was plenty of profit to spare. Suddenly, There were more people to share the money with.
I’ve never forgotten Mr. Germany’s words, “You’ve already locked the closet”. He taught me one lesson. My mother taught me another. His message was: “It’s too late to undo what you’ve done”. Her message was not spoken, but just as powerful: “You have to live with what you’ve done”.
ESSAY Personal #018
THIEF! (Or TAKING CANDY) (1958)
The year was 1958. That fall, I was 12 years old and had been a Christian for two years. My mother had just gotten me a brand new reversible jacket – black on one side and red on the other. I remember being so cold in that blue jean denim jacket I had, I begged my mother to get me a warmer one. I was so proud of that jacket. I could put my books inside of it and put my hands in the pockets to keep them warm.
Now the school I went to was a very small community school out in the country. There were three rooms to the school: the “Big Room”, which was traditionally taught by the man, consisted of the 5th through the 8th grade. The “Little Room” was traditionally taught by the wife, consisted of the 1st through the 4th grade. The third room was the gym which doubled as a theater and auditorium. Ong School averaged about 30 students. There was no High School. For that we had to go to Wewoka or New Lima.
We had a tradition at Ong. The Eighth graders sold candy all year out of a little closet store in order to go to Springlake Park in Oklahoma City for the “Eighth Grade Trip”. The proceeds from the candy financed everything: The rides, the candy, and all the other things that went with it.
There were only two of us in the 8th Grade. An Indian girl named Fannie Johnson, and me. We took turns running the candy store. Since there were only two of us in the 8th grade, we spent many hours minding “The Store.” Every day I looked at that candy and my mouth drooled. I began looking at all that candy. Tootsie rolls, my favorite, Snicker Bars, Peanut Butter Bars, Chocolate Three Musketeers, Milky Way Bars, you name it, we sold it. It became so tempting I couldn’t stand it any longer. I made a plan.
One day after school I took extra time cleaning up the store. I thought no one would notice, since I was the only one there. I put a few bars in my new jacket and zipped up the front. After all, It was cold outside. I looked some more and thought about it. I was starving. In those days, I refused to eat supper at home anyway. I put some more candy in my jacket and zipped it up a little higher.
I did it a third time, then a fourth. Then I began putting dozens of candy bars in my new jacket. I pulled that zipper up as high as it would go. That jacket was bulging as much as if I’d had my books in it. Then it struck me. What about my books? This would just have to be one night I’d leave my books at school. No one would ever know.
I locked the closet door, and began to walk away. Mr. Germany startled me as he seemed to appear from nowhere. Just as he came by he dropped some papers on the floor. I tried to walk on by quickly.
My blood froze in my veins, as he said, “Larry, I can’t possibly pick up all that by myself. Would you help me pick them up please”?
My heart sank. I was caught red-handed. I knew what would happen when I tried to bend over. You guessed it. As I bent over to help him, a Tootsie Roll fell out of my coat. I quickly reached over to pick it up and a Payday fell out. Then several fell. The more I picked up, the more fell out. All that candy – spilled right onto the floor. It just kept coming. The more I bent over, the more came out. Soon Mr. Germany was helping me pick up my candy. I had to think of something quick.
“I was just taking a few home. I was going to pay for them tomorrow.” A lie.
Mr. Germany knew the lie for what it was. Mr. Germany seemed pretty cavalier. He said, “Larry, the candy is already yours. Take as much as you want. You don’t need to ask. It’s yours to begin with. But remember that the profits go toward your 8th grade trip and if there’s not enough money, you can’t go to Springlake.”
I offered to put it back. “No, Larry. You wanted it, you take it. It’s yours. You’ve already locked the closet.”
He helped me stuff the candy back into my jacket. I had to put both hands in the pockets to keep any more from falling out. Case closed, right? Not exactly. I just knew he was going to tell my Mother. She’d just kill me. I knew it. Maybe Mr. Germany wouldn’t call and tell her after all. However, we lived in a four room 800 square foot house. There was no place to hide it. Maybe I could eat it all and she’d never find out. Yeah, that was it. I forgot about trying to hide it.
By the time my mother came in from work I was getting pretty full. I still had a lot of candy spread out on my bed, and had no idea where to put my treasure. I was caught again.
You have to know my mother. She was the wisest, smartest woman on the face of the earth. I began by telling her Mr. Germany gave it to me. Another lie. I could never lie to my mother. I had to tell her the truth.
After confessing, I was relieved. Even if Mr. Germany did call her, she would already know. I had already lied twice in addition to stealing. Now I had to face the consequences.
She was like Solomon. Her decision was gruesome. “Okay, Larry, this is what you’ll have to do. That candy will be your supper every night until it’s gone. When it’s all gone, you can come back to the supper table.”
I wasn’t hungry for supper that night. I was very sick. To this day, I don’t eat much candy. I lost my taste for it, and I have never been tempted to steal food again.
To add insult to injury, since there were only two of us in the 8th grade, Mr. Germany announced that we would have to take the 7th graders with us on our trip since there was plenty of profit to spare. Suddenly, There were more people to share the money with.
I’ve never forgotten Mr. Germany’s words, “You’ve already locked the closet”. He taught me one lesson. My mother taught me another. His message was: “It’s too late to undo what you’ve done”. Her message was not spoken, but just as powerful: “You have to live with what you’ve done”.
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