#AtoZChallenge: I is for Innocent

Innocent of the Crime

At 11, I dared my six-year=old brother to do something foolish. I told him to flatten the tire of a neighbor on our street.

He took my dare. He snuck behind a bush and waited. When he saw no one around, he snuck up to the neighbor’s taxi and let the air out of one of the tires. We all laughed as ran back toward us.

Later, we found out the neighbor had seen him, and he went to my mom. She called Steven in and had a talk with him. She wanted to know where he got the idea to flatten the tire. She suspected one of us because of his age. At six, he seemed so innocent, and she knew that he could not have come up with such a plot on his own.

No matter how much she coaxed, he would not tattletale on me. She gave him a whipping with the belt. I couldn’t stand the tears and the pain in his eyes; so, I exclaimed, “Stop, I told him to do it.”

Mom stopped and looked at me. I guess she thought my older brother put Steven up to it. “Go to your room.” She told my little brother, hugging him. “You are still on restriction for the rest of the day. Do you understand how you hurt our neighbor? He is a hardworking man, and you cost him an hour of his time. Plus, you could get in serious trouble doing something like that.”

Steven shook his little head with tears running down his face. He tried to stop crying. “I’m mmm sorry, mom. I didn’t mean to hurt him.” He went to his bedroom.

“Now, young lady,” my mom turned to me. I expected her to whip me, but her next words were worse than any whipping. “I want you to go down to Mr. Kent’s and apologize and offer to pump up his tire. After that, you are on two weeks restriction. No television, no friends, no swimming, and no telephone. I can’t believe you would do something like this to your brother.”

“Yes, Mam,” I said as I headed out the door. I wished I had gotten just a spanking and sent to my room. Having to face my neighbor for my crimes seemed so much worse.

When I approached his driveway, our neighbor busily worked on pumping his tire up.

“I am sorry, sir for what I did. It was my fault. I put my brother up to it. I should have never dared him to do what he did. I hope you can forgive me.” I told him.

He looked up and said. “I almost called the police on your brother, but I did not want to get you all in trouble. I talked with your mom and told her that if you would sweep my porch and clean my driveway for the next week that would cover the damage. I am late for work, and I lost a fare this morning because of what you did.”

“I am sorry sir. I really am,” I replied.  I felt bad as he continued pumping up his tire.

“The broom is on the porch and hose on over there behind the bush. After I leave, you can get to work,” he told me. “You need to be out here every morning by 7:30 a.m.”

“Yes sir,” I told him. For a week, I was up at the neighbor’s sharply at 7:30. At least, it was still cool during those summer mornings.

As I look back on the whole ordeal, I still see my little brother getting the spanking that I deserved. I should have never put him up to hurting others. On his own, he would have never done such a thing.

2 Corinthians 5:21

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Has anyone ever taken the blame for something that you did? How did it make you feel? How do you feel when you think about all that Jesus did for you. Please leave a comment below.

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