MeMe About Me

I've decided to start playing Meme Monday since I rarely have much to post on Mondays. The object of this Meme is to pick something from your "Things About Me" list and explain. I had this memory blocked I guess, because I hadn't thought of it in years and years. But, it resurfaced last night while watching TV.

#51--I've never been arrested.

This is true. BUT, I came really really close once and it was an awful experience.
When living in Michigan several years ago, I used to petsit as a part-time job. It was actually a third job if you counted the two I already had. I worked alot, and was always moving.
One particular job I had turned into a nightmare...

I had come home after working a shift at a bar. I was tired. I let the dogs out, fed them and just chilled for awhile. I had forgotten to bring any clothes with me, so I just borrowed some t-shirt belonging to the husband, and promptly went to bed.

I woke up late the next morning and had to haul ass to be at my job at the veterinary hospital. I wasn't thinking, I was tired and went home with this shirt.
No big deal right? It's a t-shirt. I knew I'd be back at the house that day and could return it. I had it with me as I started my shift at the bar that night, but when I went to go home it was gone. Great.

With the schedule I kept, I pretty much forgot all about it. Until the couple came home. She called me at work to let me know this shirt was gone. I guess it was a "special" t-shirt from some bar they had visited in another country...blah blah blah. I realize that it was my fault and offered to pay for it or try to replace it. She wasn't happy either way.

Well...it gets better. Or, worse actually.

She called me the next day at work to tell me that some jewelry was missing. WTF??? I told her that was impossible. She mentioned some gold ring that was in a jewelry box that was gone now. She then reported it to the police. I was in shock.
The police called me the next day and "asked" me to come in. Which of course I did.

I was questioned by a woman cop. I don't know if that's the norm to put a woman cop with a woman suspect, but I have an idea a man would have been nicer to me. She was awful. She was mean. I'm pretty sure she didn't believe in the saying, "Innocent until proven Guilty".
She threw all kinds of questions at me, all insulting. She used the t-shirt as an example of me "stealing". She asked for numbers to my other petsitting clients, which I was more than willing to give. She then said, "of course, I'm sure you'll only give me the names of people you haven't stolen from". Again...WTF?? What had I done to deserve this treatment? I was sick. Literally.
She then mentioned that they would give it a few days to see if the woman would find her ring or not and then call me back in. A few days went by and she did not find her ring. I was called back down to the police station. In those few days, I was a wreck. I was stressed out and tired. I didn't know how I was going to get out of this.

On the next trip to the police station, there was another officer in the room this time. I'm not sure if it was to intimidate me or what. It was all intimidating. I had never been in any kind of trouble like this before.
She went through her questioning again, I guess trying to either trick me or break me down. I constantly told her I did NOT take this ring, but she refused to believe me. I can't remember exact words now, but she was very mean and demeaning.

I finally had the idea to ask for a polygraph. She looked surprised actually.
She asked if I was sure I wanted to do that and I said I was POSITIVE.
They scheduled it for a few days later. Again, I was terrified. I'm not sure why, I knew I hadn't taken the ring, but I had just never been through anything like this and I was just humilated and scared. I didn't want my jobs knowing this had happened. I depended on the petsitting money to keep my head above water. I figured it only took word of this for me lose my clients. And then what about my regular jobs??

In those next few days, I decided to call the woman that had accused me.
I explained things to her, the t-shirt, my life, my future..etc. I pleaded that she at least look harder for this ring. Maybe she misplaced it. Maybe she put it away safe. Something...please.
The morning I was supposed to take the polygraph, I walked into see mean-woman-cop, where she called me into a room...I'm thinking, "What now??"
The accusing woman found the ring. She had forgotten she put it in a safety deposit box. Geeezus. I actually looked at mean-woman-cop with a slight smile.
She didn't apologize, nothing. She just had me sign something and sent me on my way.

I swear I aged in that two weeks. It was an awful experience and I was treated terribly. I mailed some money to the woman for the shirt. I know it didn't replace the shirt, but it's all I could have done.
You know out of the whole experience the part that was the worst was that mean-woman-cop immediately treated me as guilty. As some kind of lowlife.

Now I remember why I blocked out that memory.