“Last night I finally got a chance to take a shower at home!”
Alice announces as she lets the warm water cascade over her back.
We’ve all
just finished our swims in the Kennedy pool. Another success beating the
crowds. Though on this Sunday, it wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. Everyone
left the last half hour. Maybe they had the schedule wrong and thought the pool
closed at 12:00 instead of 12:30? Whatever. It was nice to have a lane to
myself for 30 minutes. A rare luxury these days.
“Why don’t
you usually take a shower at home?” Violet asks.
“I live
with my 23-year-old granddaughter,” Alice rolls her eyes. “I’m afraid she’ll
steal from me.”
“WHAT?” I
cry, astounded. “You really think your granddaughter would steal from you while
you were in the shower?”
Alice shrugs.
“Don’t know. But I know what I did when I was her age.” She laughs, throwing
her head back to rinse the shampoo out of her hair, the suds covering her worn,
wrinkled skin.
I thought
about it. I did steal. But not from my grandmother. Though maybe I would have if
I’d lived with her. I took small change out of the bottom of my mom’s purse. I
don’t think she ever knew or if she did, it was so little that she didn’t care.
Plus, I thought I was doing her a favor cleaning out the bottom of her purse.
Then there was Alpha Beta. In Irvine. I used to steal candy bars and then run out through the automatic doors before anyone could catch me. It was thrilling and stupid. They only cost 70 cents at the time. Not like I couldn’t have bought them. But I was so bored. There was NOTHING to do in Irvine except play tennis, swim, and steal.
Now that I think
of it, I did, in a manner of speaking, steal from my Grandma Birdie. We always
bought her pounds of See’s Candies for holidays, her birthday, Mother’s Day. We’d
keep the wrapped boxes in the fridge until it was time to give it her. I’d
sneak into the kitchen, open the fridge, pull out the box and carefully unwrap the
box, being sure not to tear the paper. Then, I’d root around in the bottom of
the box, stealing a prime chocolate cream or Bordeaux, move the remaining
candies around so it would look like it was still a full box.
But she always knew. One year, when I was older and didn’t do this anymore, she told me that she wasn’t fooled.
“Why didn’t
you say anything?” I’d asked her.
She gave me
her Cheshire Cat smile, “I wanted to let you have your fun.”
She was
like that.
“I remember one time,” Violet says now, “that my son stole
my car.”
“How’d he
do that?” I asked. “Were you asleep?”
“Yes. He
just took my keys and drove over to his girlfriend’s house, took her to the mall
out in Concord where they had a spending spree, and then brought the car back to
me before I woke up.”
“How did
you find out about it?” Alice asks.
Violet pauses, thinking hard, her thick grey hair damp around her face. “You know, I can’t remember. All I know is that he did steal the car.”
“And got
away with it!” I exclaimed, turning off the shower, wringing my hair and suit
and heading out into the locker room.
“Yes, I suppose
he did,” Violet muses, grabbing her own towel off the hook and wrapping it
around herself.
“All I know
is…” Alice calls out to us, “…is that my granddaughter is the type not to be
trusted. She’d steal from herself if she could!”
We all
laughed. Stealing from ourselves. That is a funny idea.
What would I
steal from myself I wonder? I have nothing of value. Though I do have Aunt
Lucille’s moonstone ring hidden away in one of my pasta boxes.
It’s worth
something. My mom said at least $5000 dollars.
I’d steal
that.
Though
since I’ve had it, I’ve never worn it. Too valuable. It might get lost.
Or stolen.
“5 MINUTES!
5 MINUTES LADIES!” One of the lifeguards hollers at us.
Violet
shakes her head. “They are off by 2 minutes. I’m going to go tell them.”
“Go Violet!”
I say as she marches out of the room, her jaw firmly set, eyes of steel. I
wonder if she ever stole anything?
I bet she
did.
And Alice?
I know she
did!
