Memory of Forgiveness

I grew up in a family of 5 kids, 4 girls 1 boy. I was the 4th child the 3rd girl. Timid and shy I grew up very quietly but there were times where I added to the chaos of a big family.
I spent a lot of time reading in my room, I loved reading, loved stories and just couldn't get enough of the imaginary places in my head. Sometimes I would let those imaginary places out of my head and enter the real world. I remember one day I finished reading a story, it wasn't Tarzan (and oh how I wish it was, because then it would make more sense to how this incident came about). I was lying on my bed sad that I had come to the end of a story, and looked at my curtains. I then looked at my stool seat. It was pink and would flip up to store things. It held my most favorite barbies(my little treasure box) I got out of my bed and pushed the seat over to the window and decided that I wanted to know what it was like to swing on a vine in the jungle. I stood on the stool grasped the curtain in my hands and leaned forward putting a little of my weight on the curtain. It held, so I let go and swung out about a foot. I stood back up and climbed back on to the stool, this time I just let myself fall off the chair holding onto the curtain, I went a bit farther out this time. It held again, and it felt pretty cool.

Downstairs I could hear the noise of my family. My parents were making dinner, my sisters were fighting, and my brother was probably playing with lego. I decided I was really going to swing out far and then grab onto the next curtain, just like Tarzan. I climbed back onto the stool and this time as I grabbed the curtain I leaned back, to give myself more momentum, and pushed myself off. It was a force too strong for the curtain rod and instead of swinging out and latching onto the next curtain, everything came tumbling down, including me, the crash was loud and when I got up panic had set in.
I could hear my father's loud footsteps as he quickly climbed the stairs, I stood looking at the disaster that had befallen my windows. What am I going to do? he's coming, I'm going to be in so much trouble, help!
I tried putting the curtain rod back up, but I couldn't reach and when my dad opened the door, he saw me struggling to put things right.
"What happened!"
I couldn't speak. Then I thought of the perfect lie.
"It just fell?"
My dad looked angry, I thought I was in BIG trouble, but he just let the lie go.
"Just fell hunh?"
"yeah, I was reading my book and CRASH the curtain fell down"
"hmmn..."
this was it I was going to get it, a spanking, the worst punishment possible. My dad went over to the window, looked at the curtain rod.
" I can fix this, but I know the curtain didn't just fall"
Deer in headlights
"you were swinging on them weren't you?"
head down in shame
"yes"
"okay then... its time for dinner"
What? that's it? I broke the house! How can I be allowed to eat? This makes no sense at all. I got away Scott free? Dad never lets us get away with anything.
I was shocked, I thought I would be in gigantic trouble but there was nothing, not even anger.

The more I think about this event the more I realize that it was probably a moment when parents are supposed to be angry at the kid to teach them a lesson, but the situation is too funny to be mad at, I went downstairs for dinner and my dad stayed behind to fix the curtain, but the more I think about it the more I realize that he probably stayed behind to laugh, and where I thought I would be in trouble I was given the gift of forgiveness.