When I was about 8 or 9, i was invited to my first sleepover at a friend's house. I was so excited. My mum told me to remember that different families do different things, and that I should try my best to eat what I was offered, even if it was unfamiliar, and that I must be polite. I was a very polite, sensible, shy child so that was fine.
Her mum picked us from school - so was well aware that I hadn't eaten my evening meal. We played quite happily in her bedroom until about 6.30pm when her mum knocked on the door. "Friend, come downstairs now". She said to me to wait there and that my friend would be back in ten or fifteen minutes. I was actually a bit worried as her mum sounded stern and I thought my friend was in trouble. She came back and i could smell food on her. I remember feeling so awkward and unsure, but we carried on playing until, after ten mins or so, I asked when we would be having dinner. My friend wouldn't look at me, but just said "we already have". I just was too shy to argue back that I was hungry, but I thought I'd be OK as surely they would give me something before bedtime - in my family, we would always have some weetabix or toast or a couple of biscuits a little before bedtime, if we were hungry. But a few hours later, her mum told us to go to bed - no food offered. I remember lying there, trying to go to sleep (on a thin camping mattress with an itchy blanket - they were as ungenerous with comforts as they were with food!) with my stomach growling, feeling so confused.
I woke up, sick with hunger, at about 4.30am and laid there until my friend woke up about 7 ish. Finally, at about 7.30, her dad called up "Time for breakfast". I remember feeling SO relieved. We walked downstairs and her dad stopped me at the bottom. He was a tall, deep voiced man and he scared me a bit. "You'll be home soon enough, you don't need anything". I remember them watching as I walked back up the stairs and I just didn't dare say "but I'm hungry". They also told me that I didn't need to brush my teeth as I had done it last night - maybe saving toothpaste?
Eventually my mum picked me up, as arranged, I think about 10.30 or 11am. I politely thanked them on the door step, as I knew I had to do, and I got in the car with my mum. I don't think we even had driven out of their street before I burst into sobs and told my mum how hungry I was, having not eaten since my school dinner the day before. I don't think I had ever seen my mum so furious. She spun the car around and marched back to their house, before hammering on the door. I don't know what was said - I was still I the car and it was far enough that I could only hear raised voices - but she never spoke to them again and I suspect she told a lot of people, as I remember other children asking me about it, so presumably had heard from their parents.
I do have a positive memory from it though; after my mum had yelled at them, she drove me to the supermarket and told me to pick anything I wanted for lunch. I chose a heinz cheese and bean pizza, which new to the shelves (showing my age there!) and an apple cream cake, so I felt incredibly spoilt. I still can't believe though that anyone would leave a child to go hungry whilst feeding themselves.