OR
Other Short Memories
Click Here:
It was a hot summer afternoon and the phone rang. Mom answered the phone and seemed quite angry. I heard her saying, "No, I won't pick him up today. Keep him until tomorrow. " And she hung up the phone. Now I thought that was strange, and I asked her what she was angry about. She said, " The police just called and have Hank in jail. I told them to keep him in jail to teach him a lesson. His father has died and there is no man here to discipline my boys. " At that time Hank was about twelve years old.I asked Mom," Could we take a bus to the station and bring Hank home." Mom is really angry, and said. " No, no, I can't handle you boys alone. So let the police keep him for a while and teach him a lesson. Maybe a week or so in jail and he will learn a lesson." So I asked her what Hank did and she says," Hank and a friend of his were at Weiland pool near Nagel ave. and Milwaukee Ave. and were throwing bottles over the fence into the pool. I told thepolice man to have the boys sweep the pool and keep my son as punishment, and maybe he will learn a lesson." I begged Mom to come with me to the station, to no avail. Finally, after the police called Mom three or four times trying to get Her to release Hank, I called my brother-in-law, Bud Hopp, and he finally talked Mom into letting him go to the station and bring Hank home. Hank did learn a good lesson, thanks to Mom. Bud said," The police told me we need more Moms like this one and our work would be a lot easier." At least one of Her sons was traveling in the right direction now.