Stop! Thief!

[Michele 1]

As I am leaving the supermarket tonight with a friend, I overhear some checkers and the store manager talking about some bikes which had been stolen from right outside the door; apparently, a child's bike and a larger child's bike, not locked up, had been lifted and the children to whom these bikes belonged were heartbroken. I chat with the employees for a moment, and then walk on to the car, and get the groceries into the back. We pull out, easing gently into 5 o'clock parking lot traffic.

My friend blurts out "hey, aren't those the bikes that were stolen?" I look over, and sure enough, the boys riding the bikes are acting a little strange - ducking low on the bikes, and riding behind the parked cars, as if hoping they wouldn't be seen. I pull up next to them, and call out "hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

I get my first glimpse of these boys. The youngest, in a dirty red shirt and dirty face, is only about 7 years old, and he's the one who comes over. The older one, maybe 10, hangs back a bit and just watches. He's looking a bit more nervous than the little guy, but I urge him closer to the car.

"Those are pretty cool bikes," says I.

"Yeah, we just bought them," says the little guy.

I look over these bikes, and they are not new. Not nearly new. The seat on the bigger bike is torn and foam is falling out, and the little bike is banged and pretty well ridden. I note a bit of painting on the side of the little bike, saying "Matthew loves you!" on the bar, in purple paint.

"So, who's Matthew?" I ask, and the little guy looks away, confused. He doesn't know Matthew, and doesn't realize that the name is painted on the side. Someone who owned that bike would've known who Matthew was, I figure.

"You know what, you two? I'm not sure these bikes belong to you after all," I say, making my voice cheerful and friendly as I can. I'm leaning out of the truck's window, so I'm already bigger then they, and now I'm towering.

"Well, no," says the older one, "we found them over at the store."

"Yeah" echoes little guy, eyes big with fear. "We found them."

"Really?" says me. "I'm not going to call the police, because that would make your Mom mad, you know? But don't you think that maybe you should put the bikes back from where you found them, so the people who own them can have them back?"

"No. We found them." says the older one. I look at him. He can read my face, and it doesn't say nice things. "We really did," he assures me.

I step out of the car, and lean against the door. "Look, you guys. I know what happened to those bikes, and they're not yours. Let's walk back to the store together and give them back, all right? That way, I won't have to call the police and ruin your Mom's Christmas. Sound like a plan?"

And the little guy says yes. His older brother agrees, this time more enthusiastically. We trade names, and I start walking with them towards the store, where a whole group of employees are standing, watching me. I look at this little boy, small but bright, eyes alert and completely aware that I'm not the bad guy, and trusting me, talking and walking and chatting about names. His older brother is more wary; my friend has followed in the truck, and he keeps looking back. He's thinking about running, but won't...because it would do no good. Between his brother and the truck, he's sort of out of luck, and he realizes is.

We approach the employees, and I annouce "these boys found the bikes, and we brought them back." With a wink and a nod, the checkers and managers play along.

I look at the little guy, and tell him "you know that adults will always know something's wrong, don't you?" He nods..."and you know that if I had called the police, your Mom would be really mad, right?" and he nods again. I look up at the older boy, directing my comments at him now "and you know, don't you, that taking things which don't belong to you, no matter how much you want them, isn't right." He nods, starting to realize that I won't be calling the police, and that they are not in as much trouble as he thought they were in at first. I have them apologize to the store people, and I reach out, rub the little guy's head, tell him to get his face washed before dinner, and tell the older one to look out for him; he's his little brother and he needs watching and teaching to do the right thing, and then shoo them on home.

I chat for a minute with the store employees, and they thank me for getting the bikes back. One of them said "they're really lucky you found them...if I had found them, they'd be with the cops. Good for nothing, starting at that age. Just good for nothing."

I look at him, and understand where he's coming from. But I couldn't call the cops on them; had they been teenagers, or been nasty to me, yes, perhaps. But no, I think I made the correct call. The little one was just doing what his brother told him, and the older one recognized that I had cut him a break.

There are two other boys, who I had not seen, whose bikes were returned to them. And there are two other little boys who stole the bikes and had to give them back, with a little humiliation along the way.

Man. 7 and 10 years old. Hopefully, a lesson was learned; if not, then may the next person call the cops.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[cocheese 0]

You're the best.

[Lindercles 0]

i remember the first (and only) time i got caught stealing. i was about 12 and it was by my dad. he didn't get mad, he just got sad and said he was disappointed. that hurt more than anything. that was the last time i ever stole anything. you did the right thing, good job.

[sinker 0]

mercy is often the best "punishment."

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[Superman32 0]

You should have called the cops on those little thief bastards, a nice long sentence in "Juvy" and a daily dose of beating would have taugh them a lesson

Inveniam Viam aut Faciam
I'm back biatches!

[mjosparky 3]

Hey Lady,

Still collecting strays? I am proud you are my friend.
Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[nacmacfeegle 0]

Dayumm Michele, I'd have shot the little buggers!.





Seriously though, good job.

--------------------

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson

[skysprite 0]

As always, Michele, very cool of you.

~skysprite

[waltappel 1]

If I ever get caught doing something really stupid and heinous, I hope it is by you.

Walt

[daniel_owen_uk 0]

Thats a whole lot of karma you just earned yourself
Good job

__________________

BOOM Headshot

[Bigwind 0]

Do you write for Mills and Boon?

[RhondaLea 3]

Quote

Do you write for Mills and Boon?

Aren't you just the charmer?

Good job, Michele. If more parents dealt with children the way you dealt with these two, we would have more children growing up into useful, productive adults.

rl

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[Erroll 49]

Quote

Do you write for Mills and Boon?

Poor call.

Spend more time on this site and read some more of Michele's stuff. You will soon realise that her eloquence (combined with her compassion) makes for some really excellent reading.

[McDuck 0]

Good examples are hard to find these days. It's refreshing to find one in our electronic backyard. I'm taking this with me into the rest of my days. Thanks.

Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28
"I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC
Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school.

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

Do you write for Mills and Boon?

***

Hey "Bigwind"...you going back to the old name after the ban is up?


Good job Michele! YOU rock!!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Michele 1]

I appreciate the comments, even the one about Mills and Boon. I got to look something up and learn that they are romance publishers....which is a little factoid I shall file away in the dust bin. I don't write for them, but I do write...LOL!

Errol, thanks for the comment...I do appreciate it greatly. Made me blush, but I appreciate it.

(NacMac, how's the not-so-little bugger?? New pictures?)

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Erroll 49]

Quote

.......about Mills and Boon. I got to look something up and learn that they are romance publishers....

Here is a sampling......

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

Quote

Dayumm Michele, I'd have shot the little buggers!

Nah, you'd have chickened out and called me, JohnRich, or Pajarito to do the job.

-

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[Michele 1]

Peej, NacMac would've handled it well; he's got a little bugger of his own, and despite the rumors, he's a nice guy.

As for someone calling JR, you, or Paj to handle two children, I don't think that would be the best idea...LOL. Besides, these two were not ogres; they were just little kids. No guns or angry voices needed at all.

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[waltappel 1]

Quote

Quote

.......about Mills and Boon. I got to look something up and learn that they are romance publishers....

Here is a sampling......

I think I could do a *lot* better (read HOTTER!) than that.

Walt

[Richards 0]

{Dayumm Michele, I'd have shot the little buggers!.}

No thats just a waste of perfectly good ammo. Run 'em over with the truck.

Richards

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[SkyPsycho 0]

Quote

Quote

Do you write for Mills and Boon?

Aren't you just the charmer?

Good job, Michele. If more parents dealt with children the way you dealt with these two, we would have more children growing up into useful, productive adults.

rl

i thought your idea of useful and productive was someone waiting for you with a ball gag and restraints in one hand and their dik in the other........heh

_______________________________
HK MP5SD.........silence is golden

[RhondaLea 3]

Quote

i thought your idea of useful and productive was someone waiting for you with a ball gag and restraints in one hand and their dik in the other........heh

Vinny, if you keep stalking me...I'm telling Cheryl...and then I'm telling Jeffie.

You're in trouble.

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[Michele 1]

Quote

I think I could do a *lot* better (read HOTTER!) than that.

Oh hell, Walt, so could I (and have...ahem...). Romance novels were interesting to me for about 3 months when I was 12, and haven't even looked at them since. LOL...

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[waltappel 1]

Quote

Quote

I think I could do a *lot* better (read HOTTER!) than that.

Oh hell, Walt, so could I (and have...ahem...). Romance novels were interesting to me for about 3 months when I was 12, and haven't even looked at them since. LOL...

Ciels-
Michele

Like this post that I did earlier today. That was a very small piece of what I was thinking at the time.

Some days, the nasty thoughts just kinda flow...

Walt