FIRST TREASURE (31 october 2004)
The boy lay under the blankets. He had just put his treasure away inside the handkerchief in his trouser pocket. His trouser pocket was safe, wasn't it?
He heard his mother come in. She rearranged his clothes.
She wouldn't get into his trouser pocket, would she?
But yes ... she did. She groped into his trouser pocket and got out the handkerchief.
Oh no, don't let her open the handkerchief ...
But she spread the handkerchief open. And there it was -- his treasure!
He pulled the blanket over his head. He didn't want to see her touching his money. It was his. He'd found it in the street, outside the church.
She interpreted his hiding as a sign of guilt.
His dad was called. "See what I found in his pocket?"
"Where did you get this from?"
"I found it in the street, outside the church." It came out after much hesitation.
"Of course you did. You don't think we believe that, do you? You got it from your mother's purse, didn't you?"
And gone were his parents and the first money he'd had ever owned .. and gone too was the trust that children should have in their parents.
