Mom Pawned My Guitar. I didn’t see it coming. The pawn shop… | by Just Jado | Aug, 2025

I didn’t see it coming. The pawn shop smelled like old carpet and metal, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. I wandered the aisles, looking around at everything, when my eyes landed on it.

My hot pink electric guitar.

Leaning against the wall, waiting for someone else to claim it. My stomach sank. My face went white, I was shaking.

I said nothing. Mom didn’t even notice I had seen it. I followed her silently through the store, my mind spinning with disbelief and anger. How could she? Why would she? And yet, I didn’t confront her there. Not in front of strangers. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to cause a scene.

We got home, and the silence in the room was unbearable. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“You PAWNED my guitar, didn’t you?” I blurted out as soon as we stepped through the door.

Her face froze. Then her defenses came up fast. “What? No!” she shot back. “Your dad buys you anything you want anyway! You don’t even need it!”

“It’s mine! You didn’t need food or money — you did it for drugs, didn’t you?!” I yelled, my voice cracking. The accusation felt like lava spewing out of my mouth.

Her eyes darted around, hands fidgeting. “I — I needed cash! Damn it, I didn’t think you’d notice! Stop yelling at me!”

For several minutes we went back and forth, yelling, cursing, and spilling pent up hurt and anger into the room. I was thirteen, livid and heartbroken, staring at the woman who was supposed to protect me. Instead she stole from me, her own daughter.

I felt hollow. The guitar was gone. So was the little trust I had in her. I sat on the floor, imagining the pink guitar in my hands, wishing I could take it back — or wishing she had made a better choice. I hadn’t learned to play it yet, but I wanted to.

I have since forgiven my mom, but this memory shaped who I am today.