The Bluestone Review 2020

The Bluestone Review 2020

Prose

That Was Close By Linda Hudson Hoagland

Mama has always had a love for other people’s possessions. Sometimes she displayed that love by slipping something into her pocket or purse. Then, before long, she was stopped from walking to the car. It was usually a security guard that halted her progress, but sometimes a uniformed police officer was standing in front of her. “What did you do, Mama?” I asked harshly. “Nothing, baby, not this time,” she hissed back at me. The security guard followed us to the car and asked if he could check our bags. I guessed Mama’s reputation was the culprit that caused this happening be- cause I believed her when she said she didn’t do anything. “Sure, go ahead,” I said as I placed my bags on the ground in front of him, as did Mama. The security guard pawed his way through each bag and then looked up at Mama. “Hold your handbag open so I can see inside of it,” he said sternly. We both opened our handbags up for him to inspect. He wasn’t permitted to touch anything inside of each handbag, mainly because he wasn’t an official police officer. He glanced at each handbag and then asked, “Do you have pockets?” I held my cardigan sweater open to show him I had no pockets. Mama did the same, and he nodded his head and walked back toward the store. “That was close,” whispered Mama. “What are you talking about?” I demanded. “It is in the bottom of that bag right there,” she said as she pointed to a bag containing two boxed puzzles. “When he looked inside, he didn’t pull the boxes out. He just moved them aside, and what I had put in there stayed hidden.” “You lied to me, again. What did you take?” I demanded.

“Some earrings.” “Why, Mama?” “I wanted them,” she whimpered.

“Why didn’t you pay for them?” I said harshly. “Why should I when I could just take them.” “Mama, that’s against the law.” “Only if you get caught.” ***

That was one of the many embarrassing moments I shared with my mother, but I would repeat that moment over and over again if I could have my Mama here on earth with me and not residing in the heavens. Of course, when I tell people about the antics my Mama would pull, they would conclude that she was an out and out thief. That was not true because if Mama stole anything, she would give it away to

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