Mistakes!

“Can you repeat that please?” the teacher asked

“I forgot my book at home,” I replied

“Very well just go sit in the office until class is over.”

“Can’t I just share one with some one else?”

“No Jennifer! If you don’t care enough to bring your own book then you aren’t going to keep some one else from learning, office now.”

This is how the worst day of my life started. I had never been to the office before. I only knew what kind of kids got sent there and I am not one of those kids. In a split second I made a huge mistake. I ran for it. I don’t know why I did it; I guess it was just an impulse. I didn’t realize what I was doing until teachers were yelling down the halls at me. I only knew one thing no matter what I did I would still be a world of hurt. So I thought that I could either ditch school or stop and take my punishment now. I decided to ditch. I knew it was a horrible thing to do, but I did it anyway. Once I got out of those doors, I felt the cool breeze on my face and my heart pounding. I never knew how much fun it would be to ditch school.

Then I slowly came to a stop in the park about a mile away from school. I didn’t know what to do. I knew I couldn’t go home because my dad was there and I could not go back to school. I thought since I had a lot of free time I could do whatever I wanted so long as I was careful.

So I was walking through the park, admiring the scenery and I was having a great time until…

“Shouldn’t you be in school little girl?” asked this huge police officer in a bright blue suit.

“Well as funny as this will sound,” I began with nervousness in my voice.

“Come with me and I will take you home.”

“No!”

I took off like a bullet once again. That day wasn’t going to well for me. That morning I was a great student who never got in trouble, now I’m a kid who ditches school and the cops. The man didn’t bother running after me. He just stood there watching me run away. After the officer was out of sight, I stopped running. I looked at my watch and it said 10:00. I didn’t know what I should do now. Then I looked up and saw the Eisenhower Museum. It was the most famous museum in Texas. I personally had never been there, but I heard it was amazing. So I thought I would take a tour of it.

I had to slip by the guards but once I got in I gaped in awe. The building inside was huge. The ceiling looked as if it went on for miles. The walls were painted with big bright bold colors, and had marvelous designs. The place was so amazing. I had no idea why my parents had never brought me here before. Then I saw the reason. There my grandparents stood, old and worn. Apparently they worked there. They were my father’s parents and he had not talked to them in years. They did not like the fact that their little pumpkin married my mother. See here is the thing my father is Catholic and my mother is Christian. It was his choice to convert to Christianity, but his parents never forgave him or my mother for it.

“Darling what are you doing here,” asked my grandma.

“Shouldn’t you be in school,” my grandpa butted in.

“No school was canceled today,” I answered trying to hide nervous laughter.

“Well why the heavens did they do that,” asked my grandma.

“We had a spider problem.”

“Oh then darling you should take our tour.”

“Ok.”

So, for an hour and a half I walked with my grandparents and learned about great facts of history that we never taught in school. I wondered why we were not taught these things. They were just as important as the things they did teach us. Nevertheless, the best part of the museum was seeing it in the eyes of my grandparents. They were amazing, how they described the things that were going on. It was as if they were there.

Once we got out of the museum,

“Are you hungry dear,” asked my grandpa.

“Just a little,” I replied

“Well then, let’s go get something.”

“Oh! Why thank you.”

“No problem.”

We decided to go to jenny’s pizzeria. It is the best pizza place in town, and everyone knew it. Even to get in you practically had to be famous, but we walked right in and got the best seat in the house.

“Wow. This place is amazing,” I said looking around.

“What you haven’t been here before,” asked my grandpa.

“No, my mom won’t let me come,”

“Oh that mother of yours never letting her child do anything” my grandma said

“Now Anne, let us not start this while Jennifer is here,” coaxed my grandpa.

“No, wait can you please tell me why you don’t like my mother so much,” I asked curious for their answer.

So for half an hour my grandparents went on and on about how my mother, Isabella took over their little boy’s life and started making all his decisions for him. Most of all they did not like her because they thought it was her fault that my dad converted to Christianity. They had raised their son to be proud of his religion and then they think she just came in and destroyed that.

“That isn’t what happened,” I said to them.

“Then what do you think happened? That he just made the decision by himself,” my grandma replied smugly.

“Well, yes. My father had told me many times that he made the decision all by himself; my mother had nothing to do with it.”

“Your father was always the best liar in the family.”

“He isn’t lying!”

“Darling, don’t get worked up.”

“No I will, you think it is entirely my mom’s fault when you precious little boy made the decision all by himself.”

With that courageous line, I stormed out of jenny’s pizzeria and ran down the street.

After I ran about half a mile then I slowed down, thinking I was safe. Man was I wrong.

“There she is. Get the girl,” screamed a man.

I looked around and saw the big cop from the park. Now instead of a park behind him, he had five other cops. I took off again, running for my life. I looked at my watch hoping it was 2:00 so I could run home, but it said 12:00. I wouldn’t be able to outrun the cops for two hours. Then I made my third rash decision for the day. I turned down a road; I was going home. As soon as I turned, I knew it was a horrible thing to do. What would my parents say? I would be grounded for a year. I couldn’t worry about that now though; I had to outrun the cops. I could not lead them to my house though.

I could hear the cop behind me; I didn’t need to turn around. What was I going to do? Then I saw it, the space between two apartment buildings, I was always afraid to go through. It was small and dark, but it was a short cut to my house. I knew I had to do it, if I could of course. As quick as I was taking off I stopped, dead in my tracks. I turned and tried my best to slide in the space. I barely fit. I got far enough into it though, that when the cops reached their arms into grab me, they couldn’t.

I stayed there until the cops had gone. Then I started my way down the space. It was quiet and damp. The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I felt the freezing cold stone against my cheek. I moved as fast as I could, I wanted out of there. Once I reached the end, I could see my house. My heart started to beat faster and faster every step I took. Then before I knew it I was on the doorstep, I felt like I could throw up. Then I slowly turned the doorknob, and stepped inside.

There, both my parents stood. My mom had and angry look on her face. My dad just looked disappointed. I just stood there, waiting for the worst.

“Jennifer is there something you want to tell us,” asked my dad.

“Well, I ditched school, the cops twice, and I ate at jenny’s pizzeria with grandma and grandpa. So please just give me whatever punishment you want and I will deal with it,” I spilled with guilt.

“Jennifer, your mother and I are both disappointed and proud of you.”

“I understand the disappointment, but why are you proud?”

“Dear your grandparents told us that you stood up for me and yourself. That took a lot of courage. However, since you skipped school we are going to have to ground you for three months.”

“Ok I totally understand, do what you have to do right?”

“That’s right.”