#17 Piggy

The calming yet exciting sound of the ice cream truck got louder as me and a group of friends sat in the field behind my town house. It was a sticky hot kind of summer day and some nice cold ice cream would’ve put my little body at rest. We begin to run frantically toward the now stopped ice cream truck. Kids and parents all gathered on the side buying ice cream. Buying ice cream with actual money which I didn’t have. Until the idea came about. My parents had just gotten me a small yellow piggy bank a month back and I just knew it was enough money in there to buy ice cream. There was one problem, my mom and dad told me very sternly that I was unable to go into the piggy bank until the end of summer because they were trying to teach money management or whatever.  

Without much hesitation I ran to my room and on top of my nightstand was “Piggy” as I liked to call her. I had to move quickly, or the ice cream truck would leave. So, I turned piggy upside down, took the stopper out and violently shook her until a decent amount of money fell onto my bed. I instantly grabbed the money and ran back to the ice cream truck. To my advantage there was still a small line in front of me. I began to count the money in my hand continuously because I kept messing up. Until I finally got the amount right, I had 3.65 cent. Which is a lot when you’re buying ice cream as a kid.

I remember buying the most expensive one, the SpongeBob character with bubble gum balls for eyeballs. I remember handing the man all the money in my hand and him giving me change that I really didn’t care for. All that matter is my friends and I got ice cream and could resume our lives peacefully. We began to skip and dance happily back to the field. There we sat and ate and talked about 6-year-old things. 

Without warning my mom and dad interrupted our joyous moment and demanded that I go inside the house. I swiftly got up and crept closer to my parents to avoid any embarrassment in front of my friends. I walked quickly and purposefully into the house; I knew what came next. I just didn’t know how I got caught. Moments after entering my room you could see piggy shattered on the ground and quarters and dimes everywhere, Apparently, amid me getting money piggy fell off the bed and broke into pieces. I could tell that my parents were more disappointed than upset. “i … I……i… “I tried to explain but everything was as clear as it needed to be.  I was grounded for 3 weeks and didn’t get any dessert.