I was 7 years old, and I was at church with my family on a Sunday morning. After church, we would be in the cafe room of the church having some food and drinks for everyone to enjoy and to talk to each other. I was leaving the cafe room and going to go outside to the playground that was on the church property, and I saw this older lady giving a girl a gift in the jacket hallway. The older lady saw that I saw her give this little girl a new jacket, and the older lady asked me what is wanted for Christmas. I told her that I wanted a red dress for Christmas because I really wanted a dress, and my other sisters had dresses, but not me. So the older lady told me that she would have my new red dress by next Sunday.
So, the week went by, and Sunday came around. Our family loaded up the van and went to church that morning, and went to the Sunday service at the church. Then, after the service, I went to the older lady and asked her about my red dress. She told me that she had given it to my mother and I ran to my mother and asked her about the red dress. My mother told me that she has the dress, and we will be bringing it home after church today. I was so excited to try out my new red dress that I got from the older lady. After we went home, I asked my mother for my red dress and she told me that I couldn’t have the dress. I asked her why I couldn’t have the dress, and she said because she said so, and she gave my new red dress to my younger sister right in front of me. I started to cry and begged my mother to please let me have my new dress, and she said no. I ran into the girl’s room and cried into my pillow because the red dress was for me, and my mother gave my new red dress to my younger sister.
Then, the next Sunday, the older lady asked me about my new red dress and if I liked it. I told her that my mother had given my red dress to my younger sister and told me that I couldn’t have the dress. The older lady seemed upset, and she talked to my mother about it. I didn’t hear what they were saying, but I could tell that my mother was upset that I told the older lady about what happened to the red dress. When we went home from church that day, my mother started to give me smacks on the bare butt with a paddle because I told the older lady at our church on what happened to to dress. I begged my mother to stop, but she said no and that whatever happens at home stays at home.