We had a great time at dinner tonight. Dad started to loosen up and he told the kids and me about the 3 times in life he was in jail. I jokingly whispered to Matt that my dad must have scared the horse pulling the cart, and lo and behold the first time dad went to jail he was an 8 year old kid running wild on the streets of Brooklyn and he and his little boy gang friends lit a fire under Joe the fruit guy's fruit filled wagon. Matt and I rolled on the floor laughing over that one. Dad swore that they didn't hurt the horse.
The second time dad was in jail he was away at summer camp. He and the other boys were out hiking and came to a lake where they decided to cool off and take a swim. The boys got naked, tossed their clothes into the bushes and dived right into the cool invigorating waters, ignoring the houses lining the lakeside. Before the boys knew it there were arms pointing out of those house's windows towards the young buck naked swimmers and the shore line was littered with police men, guns drawn, ready to haul the boys down to the precinct.
The third time my dad was in jail was when I was when little sis and were very young. Dad's first wife, who was crazy, called the police and made up some story about dad stealing money from her. Dad ignored the summons when it came in the mail, knowing what a ludicrous story the first wife had made up, when one day not long after the ignored summons had arrived , some police men were waiting for him when he left the apartment building to go to work. They escorted him to jail. Dad ended up in jail for a day and half. Mom was beside herself with worry. She cried the whole night and didn't sleep a wink. The next day she put on a brave face (trying to shield lil sis and I from the shame of having an inmate father) until she got lil sis and me to school, and then she continued the agonizing day long wait for word of dad's fate. Dad on the other hand was given a private cell, played in a thrilling prisoner basketball game, had a good night's sleep. The next morning he was befriended by the prison rabbi, who told dad that jail was no place for a nice jewish boy like him and let dad spend the whole day in his study reading interesting books until the police realized that dad was innocent, apologized and let him go. Dad came home pretty disappointed that night, they let him go right before another prison basketball game.
We'll have to have these little sharing sessions more often.
Wow! Your dad has led a really interesting life.
Posted by: wordgirl | October 09, 2007 at 10:45 PM