** This article is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as shared with me by a friend who experienced them first hand; used with permission.
Growing up, I enjoyed the freedom of walking to and from school. Everyone else was walking to and from school, and we felt comfortable with our safety in numbers. However, one afternoon my friend became ill and couldn't reach her parents to come and pick her up at school.
After checking out of school, she lied and told the school nurse that her parents were waiting outside to pick her up. As she began walking home, a lady from her church saw her and offered her a ride to her house. My friend, feeling ill, decided that she would accept the ride home.
Under normal circumstances, my friend wouldn't accept a ride with anyone, but since she knew this lady and knew that the woman was friends with her parents, she felt safe and confident that it would be okay.
Arriving at her house, the woman escorted my friend inside and then told my friend that in exchange for the ride home, she wanted to see her mother's jewelry box. My friend didn't know what to say or do, so she stalled for time.
When that wasn't working, my friend went into her parent's bedroom and hid her mother's small jewelry box. She returned to the woman in her living room and told her that she couldn't find her mother's jewelry box. The woman demanded to peek into the bedroom.
My friend showed her the bedroom from the door, and when the woman was satisfied that there wasn't a jewelry box on the dresser or somewhere obvious, she left, admonishing my friend to never mention this to her mother or father.
When her parents arrived home, my friend told her parents what had happened. They were a bit taken aback that this woman would be so demanding but understood that their daughter had done what she had to in order to avoid any potential jewelry theft.
My friend's mother handled the situation well on Sunday when everyone went to church. First, she thanked the woman for giving her daughter a ride home when she was feeling ill. Then she admired the woman's necklace and didn't mention the jewelry box incident. What do you think? Should the lady have mentioned the incident to her church friend?
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