Mom-meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Big Guy tooked my glowie, Boots shrieked down the stairs as his brother ran behind him waving the coveted chem light.

Is that his? I asked Big Guy, though I was pretty sure that Boots’ was the only one in the house.

No, Big Guy said solemnly. I found it in my room.

Did not, Boots pouted.

Did too, Big Guy insisted.

Another crisis erupted, and the glow-stick caper was forgotten until bedtime. That was when I walked into Boots’ room and found the wrapper lying in the floor.

“Big Guy,” I asked. “If you got the glowie from your room, why is the wrapper from Boots’ in his room?”

“B-b-b-b-because …” Big Guy stammered as he stalled for time. “Because he actually said I could have his. Yeah, that’s what happened. Wasn’t it, Boots?”

Boots looked from one of us to the other. Stick with brother and be rewarded with possible future considerations or rat him out and keep himself out of trouble now? He shrugged, deciding to stay out of it.

“That’s not what happened,” I said. “You took his glowie. That’s what he said earlier. Don’t try to get him to change his story.”

“What’s my punishment?” Big Guy sighed resignedly. “Stay home from karate?”

He’d been looking forward to sparring ever since he’d earned his orange belt, so I thought that sounded a little harsh. I was pleased, though, that he was taking the offense of lying so seriously. Not seriously enough to not do it, but seriously enough to realize it was a Very Bad Thing.

“That’s one possibility,” I said. “You also could buy him two glowies – one to replace the one you took, and one because you lied to me.”

“What?!” Big Guy exploded. “You want me to spend my money on him? No way!”

“Well, you did take the one that he’d spent his money on,” I said.

“No. I don’t want to spend my money on him.”

“It’s only $2,” I said, forgetting that for someone who earns only about $5 a week $2 is no small amount.

“Nope.”

“OK. Then no karate Wednesday.”

“Can’t you just spank me?” he asked.

“No,” I said. “You need to decide between missing karate or replacing the glowie. Let me know by Wednesday morning.”

“You’ll forget,” he said.

Oh, you wish, I thought.

It will be interesting to see which way his decision goes. Will he give up his passion or turn loose of his money?

Copyright 2010 Debra Legg. All rights reserved.

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