A Coat of Many Colors

“You must never feel bad about making mistakes …as long as you take the trouble to learn from them.”– Norton Juster

It was hard not to feel guilty, nine-year-old Leland thought as he sat on the steps of the old Butler High School, looking down and feeling ashamed of himself.

Guilt is one of the feelings you are born with, he thought, and boy, did God give him a dose. He knew he had made a bad mistake. No, he had made a terrible mistake.

He had hurt his best friend’s feelings.

It was a handmade coat, made from carefully cut and lovingly stitched cloth scraps, crafted by Eaton’s mother over several months. Eaton even picked out all the scraps she had used. She was proud of her Mother’s gift, and so was her mom.

It looked well-crafted, but it was homemade and also handmade.

Leland hated handmade homemade stuff. It made him and Eaton look poor, even though they weren’t as poor as some friends. He thought poor people lacked food, clothes, and even shoes. Indeed, he and Eaton had plenty of essentials; whether they were pass-me-downs or homemade, they never went without food, clothes, or shoes.

READ MORE AT BETWEEN THE TRACKS – Short Stories by L. Darryl Armstrong coming this fall.