| Source: Children Come First http://www.childrencomefirst.com/countrystore.shtml Contests The air smelled of summer rain. A few dark clouds lumbered in the sky above us, as my sisters and I walked to the old country store, up the road from where we lived. It was the summer of 1957. I was the youngest of six girls in my family. One hand held onto my sister, Martha, while the other clutched the nickel my mother had given me that day for helping her in the garden. A nickel could buy a lot in Mr. Harrison's store, especially at the penny candy counter. All of the a sudden we heard a rumble as the sky darkened above. We quickly ran to take shelter inside the store. Mr. Harrison's shop was warm and cozy, with wonderful smells of fresh baked breads and ground coffee. But it was the candy counter filled with sweet Not too much later the bell rang on the shop door and in walked my father. He had come to bring us home. I still can remember the fragrance of the air after that rain and just how good a piece of penny candy wrapped in a small brown paper bag can taste!
© 2009 Kate Prado. Original for CCF. Prado grants CCF first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology. |