Broken Bay Window
By Jennifer Palmer Wright
When I was thirteen-years old, I somehow acquired a heavy duty slingshot. I know it is a little unusual for a girl but I loved shooting that sling shot into a field behind my families’ home. One day I noticed a bird sitting on a telephone wire directly in front of my family home. I had a metal marble in my pocket and decided that I would try to hit the bird. I prepared the sling shot, fired and to my shock the bird didn’t move, but instead I heard a very loud thud. I had hit my neighbor’s large bay window and was instantly struck with fear. I ran into the house and made myself scarce. I felt sick to my stomach. Later that day, the neighbor came over and explained that they had a hole in there bay window that looked like a gunshot hole and were very concerned about it since they had little children. They asked if we had seen anyone behind our house shooting a gun or if we knew anything about it. I lied and said that I knew nothing. Immediately I felt even sicker. Not only had I ruined their window, I was also dishonest.
I lived with that lie for five years until the guilt was more than I could bear. Seeing my neighbors outside, and around town was a constant reminder of what I had done. When I was eighteen-years old, and a senior in high school, I called my neighbor. Teary eyed I told the neighbor that I was the one that had broken the window, that I was very sorry and that I wanted to pay for it. I remember feeling as though a huge burden had been taken from me. For five years I felt guilty and upset with myself for having been so foolish every time I looked toward their house. All it took was saying, “I’m sorry, can I pay for it?” to remove all the years of guilt.
