The Store
We are heading up from swimming at the beach. I am soaked and full of sand. “Anyone want to go to the store?” I ask my group of friends, knowing they will all say yes. We all agree to meet at my cottage in two minutes. Next, I ask the all important question, “Are you showering?” I always have to figure out when my shower will fit into my day. My friends, who aren’t quite as into their showers, quickly respond that they will just pull on their shorts and shower later. I agree, deciding that there might be another beach trip in the plans later on in the day. I run inside and throw on my favorite, ever so cool, tie dye blue Chip n Pepper tshirt and my black tie dye shorts. I panic for a minute thinking ‘Did I just wear this yesterday? No, no, I am good I wore my purple tank top’ There is no way I would be caught wearing the same outfit twice in one week…especially my tie dye outfit at that. I can feel my shorts already getting wet as I run out the back door. “Perhaps I should have taken the extra second to take off my bathing suit”, I mumble to myself. I grab my change along the way, which mainly consists of pennies. I check with the others and they all seem to have around the same amount of money to spend on our candy voyage. “What are you getting?” I ask the others as if it’s the only thing that matters at this moment. I of course have already decided what I want today.
We all head on our way up the rocky path to the store. Although it is only a few feet away this walk can present much opportunity for dialogue amongst a group of young kids. We dodge mud puddles and kick rocks as we mosey along our way. We look to the left of the store to see if Mac, the store owner, is in the store or in his trailer. You see, us kids are really the ones that keep this little candy shack open. Without us, the store would definitely go bottoms up. “We see Mac peeking out the window and beginning to head over to join us at the store. As we open the door we hear the ever so familiar “CREEEAAAKK” of the old rickety door and step over the old rotten boards and into the dark store. Mac joins us shortly after. He never seems worried about us being along in his store. We are regulars here to say the least. It’s amazing the trust you can build up with someone when you see them numerous times everyday! The store is very tiny and so old and tilted that it feels as if it could topple over at any moment. I am actually surprised that my mom hasn’t made it one of the forbidden buildings in which I am allowed to enter. There are a few of those at cottage land. To our parents the store is dirty, dingy and should be closed. To us kids, the store is magical and a huge part of who we are. To our parents, the store is one big expired best before date. To us kids, the store is filled with everything you would ever want. We have all experienced a time, although far and few in between, where our moms have run out of something and we were ever so happy to hop up to the store and find it there!!!! We loved coming home and reminding our parents of the fact that we would never be able to survive without the store!
The penny candy is lined up behind the cash and counter. We all line up and wait our turn. “What can I get you?” grumbles Mac. Although he is a dirty, grumpy looking man we don’t seem to mind or judge him at all. Besides he is our candy provider and that is all that matters! “106 gummi bears please” I confidently respond. Mac picks through the gummi bears, trying to find all the red ones he can as he knows red is my color of choice. He dumps them into the little mini brown paper bag one by one. I hand over my money, which mainly consists of pennies, some full of mud from being dropped along the way or from being found in a game of finders keepers. It really is amazing how much money you can find in the puddles on the way up to the store. I wait by the door as the others place their orders, searching out all the red bears first. I listen as the others order and become a little jealous at the fact that they are ordering a variety of things, green Swedish fish, Swedish berries, “Shoot, I’ll get some of those at our next trip up after supper”. We have all ordered and begin to head back down the road to our cottages. We sit on our picnic table, eat our candy from our brown bags and contemplate what to do next. “How ‘bout another swim?” I suggest as I wolf down the last of my gummies. And we all rush inside to do it all over again.
