Little Gladys Life of Crime

The house was completely dark except for the little flashlight Karen held. She was giggling and pushing Gladys out the door in front of her. “Don’t be such a chicken. I sneak out all the time” Karen whispered as Gladys exited the door into the garage. Karen sucked in a little air and said “Hey instead of just going out walking let’s take the car.” Gladys turned around and saw Karen shining the flashlight under her chin giving her an eerie specter look. She jumped back then giggled “Karen, we can’t take the car. We don’t have driver’s license besides what if we get caught.” Karen opened her mouth and a red glow emitted around her mouth as she said “So! What are you too big a chicken? Besides we won’t get caught and I drive all the time.” Gladys didn’t want to go but she didn’t want to be a chicken either.

“Karen, you are twelve years old. What if someone catches us? They will throw us in juvie jail and we’ll never get out. Besides my momma and daddy would kill me if they found out. I don’t think this is a very good idea.” Gladys whined. Karen snorted a disgusted snort and said “I look 16 and besides no one is going to catch us. Your parents won’t know a thing. Now get your scrawny little butt in the car and let’s go.” Karen opened the garage door very slowly careful not to make a noise. Then she put the El Camino in neutral and pushed it out of the garage. Gladys stood there looking at her in fear and wonder. “Come on you little twit! Get in or I’m leaving you behind. That means I won’t be your friend anymore EVER!”

Gladys had a fear of being friendless. She was the one always picked last. She was the one whose siblings told her over and over again that she was found under a rock and therefore did not really belong to their family. Gladys just wanted to belong. So Gladys did what her eleven year old insecure psyche told her to do…go along to get along. Her conscience on the other hand told her something quite different. She ran her spastic run to the passenger side and slid in beside her best friend. “Karen, I’m scared. I mean what if something happens” Gladys asked.
“Oh brother! You have turned into a big scaredy cat. I do this all the time and I have never been caught. Heck my parents never even suspect anything.” Karen replied as she started the car and drove slowly down the street without turning on her headlights. Once past their block she flipped on the headlights and roared the engine. Gladys sat pouting in the seat next to her. She had a bad feeling about this foray.

It was after midnight as they drove the streets of their subdivision. Gladys was getting a little more comfortable. After all it wasn’t like they were on any major streets, she reasoned with herself, and Karen was a pretty good driver. Then Karen turned down another street and exited the subdivision. She ventured out onto a main thoroughfare. The next thing Gladys knew they were on the other side of town. Gladys was really nervous now. She was looking around imagining there were ghouls and goblins ready to run out in front of them and snatch them up or worse her parents.

Karen drove over the railroad tracks that separate the little town when all of a sudden they heard a siren. Karen looked up and saw red lights flashing “crap! What does he want?” Gladys began shaking, not a little bit but full on shit in your pants scared shaking. Karen rolled down her window as the office shined the light inside the cab. “Hello there little lady. Can I see your license and registration please” the officer inquired as he continued to shine the light in the two girl’s eyes. “How old are you” he asked as he pointed the flashlight towards Gladys’ face. “I’m eleven” Gladys choked out. “GLADYS! Is that YOU?” Officer Stovall asked. That is when little Gladys lost it and began sobbing uncontrollably. He then placed the beam over Karen’s face and said “KAREN KAY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING DRIVING YOUR DADDY’S CAR?”

Wouldn’t you know that the police officer who stopped the car was the girl’s neighbor? He was father of one of their schoolmates. He was a friend of their parents. “What the hell were you two thinking taking the car out? Neither one of you is old enough to even think about driving! Gladys! Do you have any idea what your momma and daddy are going to do to you? Do you think they won’t find out?” Officer Stovall admonished the girls.

Gladys couldn’t speak, she couldn’t move and most of all she couldn’t look at Officer Stovall. All Gladys could do was sit and cry. “Listen to me and listen good,” Officer Stovall commanded “I am going to follow you girls home. Then I’m going to wake your parents and tell them what happened. Do you understand? Then if I ever catch you out joy riding again I will haul your happy little butts to jail. Now can you drive this thing home?” Karen being the defiant one said “I got it this far didn’t I?” To which Officer Stovall answered “Don’t smart mouth me girl.” Gladys just sat and cried.

They arrived at Karen’s house with their police escort and pulled the car into the garage. Officer Stovall walked up to the door and said “Now, go wake your parents up. I want to speak with them.” Gladys sat on the front stoop and cried as Karen went to wake up her parents. A few minutes later Mr. and Mrs. O’Bar appeared wrapping themselves in their robes and wiping the sleep out of their eyes. Mr. O’Bar said “Bill what is this all about? Karen said there was some trouble?” Officer Stovall said “Don come on over here and let me talk to you.” The two men walked to the other side of the room and in hushed tones carried on a very lengthy conversation. Mrs. O’Bar just stood looking at the two girls. Finally the men came back to confront the little criminals. “Girls, I’m not going to arrest you for driving without a license. Gladys I’m not going to wake up your parents tonight. You have until tomorrow noon to tell them what happened or I will call them and tell them. Now like I said before if I ever catch either one of you out at that time of night driving or not I’m going to take you down to juvenile hall and hold you there” Officer Stovall ended his lecture and bid everyone a good night and left.

Mr. and Mrs. O’Bar stood looking at the two girls for a long time. Finally Mrs. O’Bar looked at Gladys and said “You know I would have expected this from Karen, but not from you. Whose idea was this? It wasn’t yours was it Gladys?” Gladys hung her head down ashamed and frightened replied “No ma’am. It wasn’t but I shouldn’t have gone along. Are you going to call my parents?” Mrs. O’Bar shook her head and looked at her husband who said “No, Gladys, I think you need to tell them first thing in the morning. Karen, we will talk to you about all of this in the morning too. Now you two go to bed. Do I need to get an armed guard to keep you in?” The girls looked at him but only Gladys answered “No sir.”

Gladys spent a sleepless night and as soon as the sun shone over the horizon gathered up her belongings and slipped out the door. She walked home rehearsing for the millionth time what she was going to say to her parents. She walked in the door to find Nurse Meme and Trooper Bob at the breakfast table. They looked up as she came in surprised to see her home so early on a Saturday morning. “What’s up?” Trooper Bob asked as he saw the look on her face.
Gladys began to cry and then she began to sob. “I need to tell you something” she wailed. She laid the whole story out to her parents. She told them everything. They both sat listening not saying a word. She saw disappointment in their eyes and she felt shame. Nurse Meme ever the strong disciplinarian looked at Gladys lips pursed and asked “So what do you think we should do with you?” Gladys sniffed a big sniff wiped the tears from her face and said “I think you should ground me for six whole months.” Nurse Meme bit her lip and looked down at her coffee cup. Trooper Bob got up and started fussing with the Mr. Coffee and said “do you think that’s enough?” Gladys picked her fingernails and studied her feet and replied “no. I don’t think I should be allowed to hang out with Karen anymore. I just don’t think any good will come out of it.” The two parents looked at each other then Nurse Meme said “That sounds like a fair punishment. It sounds like you have already been lectured enough.” Gladys excused herself and went to her bedroom to contemplate her fate.

What will become of Little Gladys? What is her fate? To be continued.....