Shattered Glass

Responsibility- Chapter 21

-Jo- Past

Once, when I was little my mother took me shopping at a clothing store, she knew we couldn't afford any of it but she still wanted to go, frankly, I did too. So, that day she took me to the most beautiful one.

We walked through the door and heard the door's bell go off, "Hello!" said a lady, wearing so many layers of clothes, she looked really fat. "What can I help you with today?"

"Um, nothing, we're just looking around," said my mother, grabbing onto my hand, starting towards one of the racks.

"Great!" said the lady, stopping my mother in her tracks, "There's the sales rack over there and all of our flannels are buy one get one half off."

"Thank you," mother said, starting to look around.

As the lady started to recede back to her spot behind the check out desk, I got really close to my mother, "She seems nice," I said, trying to be loud enough over the music blaring through the speakers but quiet enough that the lady couldn't hear my sarcasm.

"Sure she does," said my mother, picking up some bright blue sunglasses.

"Wow," I said, "Those are really pretty!" I grabbed them from my mother's hands and

put them on my face, "How do I look?" I asked, giving myself the best sophisticated accent ever.

My mother chuckled a little, "You look beautiful Jo," she said, running her fingers through my hair. I took the glasses off and handed them back to her. She grabbed the little white tag on the end and looked at the price. She quickly set them back on the rack and started to walk away.

"Momma?" I asked, starting to walk towards her, "What's wrong?"

"Oh honey," she said, turning to me, "I wish I could give you all the things in the world, and you deserve it all. You're so beautiful and bright but we'll just have to accept that there are people better off than us and people that can celebrate Christmas with presents and a turkey without putting a dent in their savings account. But us honey? We can hardly afford the heating in our house, let alone buy a pair of sunglasses that cost $12 dollars. So, everything's fine, I just wish I had more for you-"

"Oh Momma, I don't care about the sunglasses! I know we can't get them but it's okay. I'm gonna get a really good job when I turn twelve and everything's going to be okay! We're gonna make it-"

"I hate that you have to take the responsibility upon this family," she said, looking down at the ground. "We should go," she starting making her way and I continued to follow her.