Guilty of Something Else
I already apologized to her. I said I was sorry, even dropped to my knees in front of her because I meant it. I narrated the story of how I apologized to my sis to my Grandad, God rest his soul, before he pulled a long cane out of his trousers like it was a magic trick. How’s a 60-year-old man hiding that thing? He said he was there to discipline me. He traveled about 10 miles to our house when he heard I had disrespected my sis(His fav grand child.)He came with the intention to leave me crying. He pinched my ear but didn't use the cane.
I was wrong for going off on my sister, but not wrong for denying what she accused me of. I didn't take her money.
Let me tell you what really happened.
That morning, I was sneaking around, peeking through a crack in the door to see where my older sister hid her keys before she left for work. Soon as she pulled out of the driveway, I checked to make sure she was gone for real. Didn’t want her barging back in for some forgotten phone or whatever. Nobody else was home, just me and the house help somewhere doing chores, maybe out back. My uncle was chilling outside with his boys. I was alone.
My sister’s room a TV. The living room was too open for what I wanted to watch. So I grabbed the keys from her hiding spot and slipped in, heart pounding like I was pulling off a heist.
When she got back from work, she started screaming about stolen money. Since I was the only one home when she left, she zeroed in on me, accusing me of stealing the cash she’d been saving for school. I lost it. For the first time, I wasn’t intimated. I’d spent years scared of older people, but being accused of stealing? That sent blood rushing to my head. I turned red immediate, it was like a switch of light, I got so angry fast and yelled back. cussed her out, first time I ever had the guts to do that. She backed off, stunned, but the damage was done. I got reported, and that’s why Grandad showed up with his cane. It strained our relationship for as long as I can remember. To this day, I don’t know who took her money.
But here’s the truth I never told anyone till now: I wasn’t in her room to steal. I was in there watching porn.
Look at what it caused. Family fights, accusations, shame.
Wasn’t worth it. Not even close.
What makes it sadder is, I was 13. How was I going to admit that? To adults? I found the tape hidden at the back of the couch in the hall. So many adults were in and out of the house I didn't know who it belonged to. I couldn't point the finger at anyone. I thought about all the complicated scenarios it was going to cause me if I admitted what I was doing in the room. I wasn't going to tell them. I knew what I was doing was naughty and forbidden. I couldn't confess this to anyone at home.
As for the missing money, still a mystery.
