I was working on the computer one night when my mom called me to the front door. I was surprised to find a policewoman standing there, holding her badge1. Why was she here? Had something happened to my dad?
“Are you Hanna?” she asked. I nodded. The officer explained that a girl had been captured2 on a video surveillance tape3 at Mervyn's4, putting something in her jacket pocket. Suddenly my heart started pounding. That girl was me.
The Moment of Untruth
I had been shopping with my mom two days earlier when a game caught my eye. I asked my mom if she would buy it for me, and even promised to pay her back later. She said no several times, but she was being unfair—I said I'd pay her back!—so I pretended not to hear her and opened the box. Seeing the cards inside made me want the game even more. “Put it back,” my mom said. I angrily pushed the game onto the shelf, where it teetered5 for a moment and then crashed to the floor.
I could tell my mom was losing her patience, so I quickly gathered up the cards. Then I had an idea. No one will notice a few missing cards, I thought, my heart racing. Glancing up, I saw that my mom had turned to walk away, so I slipped6 a handful of cards into my pocket and then put the game back on the shelf. I knew that stealing was wrong, but I was sure no one had seen me, and most of the cards were still in the tin anyway. By the time we walked out the door a few minutes later, I was sure I'd gotten away with7 it.
I waited until my parents went to sleep that night before I read all the cards. I felt guilty about ripping off8 a store and lying to my mom, but the cards were really funny. I fell asleep telling myself that taking them hadn't been a mistake.
Game Over
Perhaps I became too confident overnight, because on the way to school the next morning, I took out the cards and read them again. It didn't occur to9 me that my mom might notice and start asking questions. When she did, I panicked10.
“Where did you get those cards?” she asked as we pulled up to11 my school. My brain froze12. “Natalie,” I said, saying the first person that came to mind. (Natalie is my best friend.)“Natalie gave them to me.”
“But you didn't see Natalie over the weekend. Let me see the cards,” she said, holding out her hand. After reading the first two, she knew. “Please don't tell dad!” I begged. The thought of his anger and disappointment brought me to the brink13 of tears. “I won't,” my mom said quietly. “But you'll have to, Hanna. When you're ready.” She looked so sad and let down14 that I felt even worse than if she'd yelled at me. I had a day, maybe two, to come up with an explanation for how I'd gotten the cards. Maybe there was still some way I could convince15 both my parents that I had a right to have them. It would mean lying again, but that was better than admitting I'd stolen something—right?
Next Stop, Jail?
I was still trying to figure out16 what to tell my dad when the policewoman showed up at the door. Now, as I listened to her and struggled not to cry, I confronted17 a much bigger problem. "When someone walks out of a store and has not paid for the item, she has committed a crime and broken the law,” the officer explained.“I take people who shoplift18 to jail. Should I take you to jail, or do you deserve a second chance?"
I pictured myself behind bars with just a bed and sink19, locked up for a long time. I could barely get the words out, but I managed to whisper that I wanted another chance. The officer agreed to give me one, but I had to promise to return the cards to the store and apologize for what I'd done.
A Life Lesson
As soon as the policewoman left, I burst into tears. I was humiliated20, mad, and scared all at once, my mom hugged me for a long time, but the tears just kept coming. When I finally calmed down, my mom explained that Mervyn's—like most stores—has video surveillance cameras in every department. At the end of the day, the store's security guards21 review the cameras' tapes. If someone is caught stealing, they attempt to identify22 the person. I was filmed23 taking the cards and also checking out with my mom. Since she has made a purchase, the store was able to figure out who I was and send an officer over.
Even though I never wanted to set foot in24 a Mervyn's again, I still had to go back and apologize. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though. The store manager accepted my apology, and it was actually a relief25 to return the cards that had caused so much trouble. I may have wanted them more than anything, but they were not worth all the lying and the guilt I went through to keep them. And they weren't important enough to risk losing my parents' faith in me. In fact, I realized that nothing is.
I now know that there are cameras everywhere—but that's only part of the reason I'll never steal again. Since this happened, I know my parents are watching me more closely, and I don't even want to feel like I've let them down like that again. I know I have to work every day to deserve their trust, and I don't want to lose it. It's just not worth it.
1． badge n． 徽章
2． capture v． 捕获
3． surveillance tape 监视录像带
4． Mervyn＇s 商店名
5． teeter v． 摇摆
6． slip [slip] v． 塞入
7． get away with 侥幸成功， 逃脱处罚
8． rip off 偷窃
9． it occur to sb． (某人)想到
10． panick v． 恐慌，惊慌
11． pull up to 开（车）到特定地点
12． freeze v． 僵住
13． brink n． 边缘
14． let down 让…失望
15． convince v． 使信服， 说服
16． figure out 想出
17． confront v． 面临
18． shoplift v． 从商店中偷商品
19． sink n． 水槽
20． humiliate v． 使丢脸， 耻辱
21． security guard 保安
22． identify v． 识别， 鉴别
23． film [film] v． 拍成影片
24． set foot in 进入，踏进
25． relief n． 解脱