my lesson in *instant* karma − 15 May, 1969
when i was a little girl i *loved* icy cold popsicles especially on hot summer days. orange, cherry, lime, even 7-up flavored. every day on my way back home from school i'd see the ice cream man with his ice cream cart-cycle, i can here him ringing the bells from down the block, *ice cream, get your cold ice cream!*. he would always be on the same corner just a block away from my home. my mouth would start to water just thinking about buying the perfect summer treat. however, i had one problem. i had *no* money. at the time one popsicle was only 10 cents, i know that's hard to imagine but back then i didn't even have 10 cents to my name. i was a poor kindergartener. so i decided to ask my mom if i could have 10 cents to buy a popsicle on the way home from school. she absolutely refused because she had bought a box of *mr freeze pops*, a frozen popsicle in a plastic tube. however, it wasn't the same as a *popsicle*. what i really, really, wanted was an icy cold popsicle. all i could all day long was think about how to get 10 cents so i could buy my popsicle on the way home. then i remembered my parents kept some loose change in a drawer in their bedroom. after dinner i sneaked into their bedroom and open the drawer fool of loose coins, and there i found my treasure trove. shiny pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, i'd hit the jackpot! now there was nothing stopping me from getting my popsicle. i quickly picked the shiniest dime i could find and put in my pocket. i must admit, i felt a tinge guilt as i put the dime in my pocket, but alas, this was for a good cause. i promised myself never to lie or steal again. this will be my first and last time. cross my heart.
the next morning i woke up bright and early, all i can think about was buying my popsicle, i could already imagine indulging in my icy delight. immediately after school i could barely contain my excitement. i felt like i was going to explode. i didn't walk home with my friends. i quickened my pace and started to run home. actually i ran all the way to the ice cream man and there he was with his ice cream cart, *ice cream, get your cold ice cream!* i looked at him with a smile stretching from cheek to cheek and said, *hi, i'd like to buy a popsicle!* *well, little girl. what flavor would you like?* he asked, *cherry, orange, grape, 7up, root beer, lime?* *oh, no*, i thought to myself, what flavor do i want cherry, orange or maybe 7up flavored? i looked inside his ice cream cart, he had boxes and boxes a different flavors, i felt the cold rising from all the ice creams and popsicles in his cart as i pondered what flavor to get. finally, i shouted, *cherry please!!!*. i handed him my shiny stolen dime and he gave me my prized cherry popsicle.
i ripped off the paper and stared at my cherry popsicle glistening in the sunlight. i took my first bite and the flavor just exploded in my mouth. i was in heaven. however, i had a problem i was only a few doors away from home. how can i possibly eat such a huge popsicle by the time i got to the door. now the guilt started to sink in as my legs moved lethargically home. what if mommy finds out? i never lied before. i stole money to buy my popsicle. i promise never to do this again. by now the cherry popicle started melting, i had cherry syrup all over my hands, it dripped down my chin. i just couldn't eat it fast enough. what was i going to do? half of the popicle melted and fell off the stick to the ground. so i ate rest of it by stuffing it into my mouth. i felt like a chipmunk with a big chunk of cherry popsicle stuffed in my cheeks. by the time i got to the front door, i tried to hide all evidence. first i put the popsicle sticks in the bottom of my school bag, next i wipe my cherry popsicle stained hands on my pants. my mother opened the door and she greeted me with a frown. the first thing she asked me was, *did you have a popsicle?* *omg! i'm busted!* i thought to myself, *how could she possibly know?* i looked down to the ground and said, *no*. *are you lying to me?* now, i felt like crying. *no,* i said, my voice cracking. my mother had been watching me from the window. she saw me buy the popsicle from the ice cream man. she saw everything. i finally confessed and apologized for stealing the dime. when i went to the bathroom to wash my hands and face i looked in the mirror and saw my lips were a bright, cherry popsicle stained red, so was my tongue and chin. i learned my first lesson in *instant* karma.
the next morning i woke up bright and early, all i can think about was buying my popsicle, i could already imagine indulging in my icy delight. immediately after school i could barely contain my excitement. i felt like i was going to explode. i didn't walk home with my friends. i quickened my pace and started to run home. actually i ran all the way to the ice cream man and there he was with his ice cream cart, *ice cream, get your cold ice cream!* i looked at him with a smile stretching from cheek to cheek and said, *hi, i'd like to buy a popsicle!* *well, little girl. what flavor would you like?* he asked, *cherry, orange, grape, 7up, root beer, lime?* *oh, no*, i thought to myself, what flavor do i want cherry, orange or maybe 7up flavored? i looked inside his ice cream cart, he had boxes and boxes a different flavors, i felt the cold rising from all the ice creams and popsicles in his cart as i pondered what flavor to get. finally, i shouted, *cherry please!!!*. i handed him my shiny stolen dime and he gave me my prized cherry popsicle.
i ripped off the paper and stared at my cherry popsicle glistening in the sunlight. i took my first bite and the flavor just exploded in my mouth. i was in heaven. however, i had a problem i was only a few doors away from home. how can i possibly eat such a huge popsicle by the time i got to the door. now the guilt started to sink in as my legs moved lethargically home. what if mommy finds out? i never lied before. i stole money to buy my popsicle. i promise never to do this again. by now the cherry popicle started melting, i had cherry syrup all over my hands, it dripped down my chin. i just couldn't eat it fast enough. what was i going to do? half of the popicle melted and fell off the stick to the ground. so i ate rest of it by stuffing it into my mouth. i felt like a chipmunk with a big chunk of cherry popsicle stuffed in my cheeks. by the time i got to the front door, i tried to hide all evidence. first i put the popsicle sticks in the bottom of my school bag, next i wipe my cherry popsicle stained hands on my pants. my mother opened the door and she greeted me with a frown. the first thing she asked me was, *did you have a popsicle?* *omg! i'm busted!* i thought to myself, *how could she possibly know?* i looked down to the ground and said, *no*. *are you lying to me?* now, i felt like crying. *no,* i said, my voice cracking. my mother had been watching me from the window. she saw me buy the popsicle from the ice cream man. she saw everything. i finally confessed and apologized for stealing the dime. when i went to the bathroom to wash my hands and face i looked in the mirror and saw my lips were a bright, cherry popsicle stained red, so was my tongue and chin. i learned my first lesson in *instant* karma.
