My parents couldn't afford it, but I think the teachers made it happen (maybe it was some friends from the Kingdom Hall), hard to recall now. I don't even think I told my parents, I was just gonna forego the whole thing. My mom was mad that I didn't say anything. But I was one of those kids who didn't wanna burden my parents cause I kinda knew we didn't have it like that.
I kept a piece of wood that had a gall on it from wasps well into my adult life, and some other joint that this girl I really liked signed.