Thief! Thief!

Again, while I was a little child living on Sparrow road my mother used to send me to the "Big Star" grocery store at the end of our block for little things that she needed a  t the last minute.  One day while preparing a meal she had to send me to the store quickly to buy mayonnaise which I bought, but I also stole a pack of gum, just picked it up on the way out of the store.  I did not eat any of it or even open the pack because the guilt of what I had done hit me as soon as I walked out of the store.  It was too late however and I did not know what to do  I went straight home, gave my mother her needed mayonnaise and confessed my theft.  I mean when you have a problem who do you tell?  Your mother right?  She always knows what to do right?  My mother promptly made me turn around and go back to the store with her.  We went straight to the manager, whom we knew well.  He had seen me take the gum but didn't worry because he knew me and my family and knew I would be back momentarily.
The manager gently, smilingly gave me a little lecture and was prepared to send me on my way when my mother stepped in none to gently and made me pay for the pack of gum from my piggy bank.   I thought that was fine because the whole problem was that I wanted gum and didn't have my money with me, now I had the gum and had paid for it properly.  Never underestimate my mother, after I paid for the gum she made me return it.  The manager did not want to take the gum back because I had paid for it but my mother insisted.  I remember that I was so humiliated, I never stole a thing again in my life.  My mother handled it just right because I never wanted to feel like that again.