Stealing....but, but, it was Show and Tell

The first time I ever heard about 'stealing' was when I was five.
We lived in Port Coquitlam, us kids called it the blue and white house.

I believe I was in Kindergarten and it was 'show and tell' day.
Well, I had nothing, or felt I had nothing to show and tell so as I was leaving the house I noticed a little tray with some change in it.

I took one quarter, one dime, one nickel and one penny.

I remember standing in front of the class showing my stacked change and remarking that the nickel is bigger than the dime, even though the nickel is smaller in value.
Big deal, right? and even kind of cute and silly.

On the walk home that day, I gave one of my friends a penny. She went home and showed her mom. I still to this day do not know why her mom called my mom but when I got home my mom was waiting for me.

As I walked up the walk to the house, I saw my mom in the front window wearing her pink bathrobe, I remember a feeling of dread.

I walked into the house and my mom immediately confronted me. Started accusing me of stealing...yah, only problem was I didn't know what stealing was and that I had stolen the change.

I tried to explain that it was show and tell at school, I wasn't going to keep the money, I had no need for money, nor did I understand the true value of money.

One day later, the little tray of change was gone...though I still felt the sting of the many slaps I received.