A HARD SALE

Mama’s angry at me, again. Three times I told her I’m sorry but she closed her eyes and mind. She’s going to tell Daddy that I was not supposed to go down the water slide and I went anyhow. That was bad enough, but my new bathing suit got caught on a piece of metal and the seat tore right down the middle. I had to hold it closed while I ran to the dressing room. I thought Mama would at least be glad I wasn’t cut to shreds but she didn’t mention it.

‘Mama, please can I go to the park Saturday with Alice? Her father is taking her and Lisa. Please. I’ll tell you a secret, Mama, if you let me go. It’s important.’ Mama keeps on peeling onions and her eyes are burning. ‘Don’t bother me with children’s secrets. Don’t you see how bad you make me feel? Look, I’m crying.’ Mama must think I’m three years old and don’t know the onions, not me, make her cry. ‘Never mind. If you don’t want to know what I know, you’ll be sorry.’

I go outside to look for Alice but don’t see her. It’s hot. If I hadn’t torn my new bathing suit, I’d be jumping rope with the hose turned on, getting soaked and cool. Cathy walks by. ‘Hi, Cathy. Want to come down my cellar and play Fish with me? It’s nice and cool down there.’ We play two games and she wins them both. ‘ Cathy, I have a secret. My mother won’t let me tell it to her. Can I tell you?’ Cathy says, ‘No’ so I keep quiet. We play 5 more games and I lose all of them. My whole day makes me angry, makes me sad. ‘I hear my mother fixing supper and I had better go to help her.’ I’m not going to but I was tired of losing and fibbed a little.

‘Mama, I’m really sorry I didn’t listen to you and then tore my bathing suit. If I tell you my secret, will you buy me a new one?’ The onions are finished. Without even looking at me she starts on the potatoes. I don’t let up. ‘Mama my secret is important, you should know. What an ugly look she gives me. ‘If you don’t listen to me, Mama, I am going over to tell Alice’s mother the secret. She’s always nice to me.’ ‘Go tell her. I know you won’t because you never do what I tell you. Drink your milk!’.I drink my milk, finish supper and try one more time. ‘I’m going now. You told me to go, so I’m going.’

Instead I go to see Mrs. Oland. ‘Is Mildred home?’ ‘No, Honey, she went to the drugstore with her father. They are getting a quart of rocky road ice cream. Would you like to stay and have some with us?’ ‘Yes, I would, but I came over to tell you a secret. My mother wouldn’t let me tell her and it’s important. You have to know. ‘Yesterday Mildred and I were playing wall ball and Jerry and Harvey came over, pushed Mildred down and made her take off her panties. Then they stood there and laughed at her. I was so scared, I ran away. Will you tell Mildred when she comes home that I am sorry I left her?’

Mrs. Oland thanks me for telling her, gives me a Hershey bar with almonds and best of all, she hugs me, doesn’t want to let go. That was the best thing that happened to me since yesterday.

The next best thing is I don’t have to keep the secret any more.