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20: “The Drug Store”
When Ali and Reynolds returned home from school they sometimes watched television, but inevitably they began to fight with each other and Reynolds would shove Ali away and tell her to leave him alone, shutting the bedroom door and posting a “Keep Out” sign. Ali would usually leave the apartment and go around the block to The Drug Store on the corner of 58th Street and talk to her friend Iris who was the lady at the cash register at the front of the store.
Iris was a no nonsense lady who looked like somebody’s grandma, but had dyed-red hair and would never tell you how old she was. She took care of her duties like filling the cigarette display, as well as the candy and card counters, all the while keeping her eye on the customers who came to buy something. In between her tasks, she would talk to Ali who stood nearby.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ali, said Iris as she finished giving change to a customer. Iris put up all kinds of special displays, especially in the candy and card section for Valentine’s Day. Hearts were everywhere, even in the cigar section saying, “Remember him on this Special Day”.
“Get any Valentine’s cards today from your school friends?” asked Iris.
“Just a couple. It’s not the same as when you’re really little”, said Ali.
“Truer words were never spoken,” said Iris with a chuckle.
“Learn anything today?” Iris inquired.
“Not too much. Math is driving me crazy!” confided Ali.
“Enjoy school kid. Don’t be in a hurry to grow up like I was. I could hardly wait to get off the farm and come to New York to sing in a show----”
“Like my Daddy?” Ali interrupted.
“Yeah, but he actually got to sing in one. I never got through the door to even get a chance. There are more dreams broken than there are lights on Broadway, as the old saying goes. And here I am an old lady, selling cigars and looking out for bums who come in here to steal stuff,” added Iris as she glanced around to ensure no one was trying to swipe anything from any of the shelves.
“Do you ever catch anybody?” asked Ali.
“Sure do and when I do, I toss their----excuse my French---butts right out on the street. Sometimes we call the cops on them. Customer coming----” said Iris suddenly. That was Ali’s cue to be quiet. Sometimes, Iris would let Ali help put candy in the display area. After they had opened all the different boxes of candy and filled in the empty sections, Iris would give Ali a candy bar and deposit her own money in the cash register.
“Don’t want anyone to think we’re being dishonest. Happy Valentine’s Day, Ali,” said Iris as she gave Ali a small Whitman’s candy box.
“Thank you, Iris. I’ll take it home and share it with mother tonight.”
Ali went to the greeting card section of the store along the side wall, and selected two Valentine’s Day cards, one for her mother and one for her father, even though she wasn’t sure when she would see him. After paying Iris for the cards, she went over to the lunch counter and sat down to see if her funny friend Joe was there for the late afternoon shift. He was nice, unlike the man who got mad at her mother awhile back when she asked for cream and sugar. Joe wore a paper hat and a white jacket, and mostly sold ice cream sundaes and sandwiches to the customers. If it wasn’t busy at the fountain, he would let Ali wipe the counters and fill up the napkin holders. When everything was done, he would serve her a hot fudge sundae, and just like Iris, paid for it with his own money.
Ali noticed the old man at the end of the lunch counter who ate at the drugstore almost every day about 4PM. He would always be eating just one thing----a bowl of bean soup with crackers. He looked like he was about 100 years old and wore a bathrobe and slippers while a lady who looked like a nurse waited for him a few feet away.
“Old Mr. Brewster, there,” said Joe.
“He has a million dollars or more and lives upstairs in the apartment house that looks out at the park, but never has anything more than bean soup and crackers,” Joe whispered to Ali.
“You’d think he’d get tired of that after awhile,” said Ali.
“Do you ever get tired of hot fudge sundaes?” Joe asked her kiddingly. he shook her head from side to side and got Joe’s point.
“Besides, the crackers are free and Mr. Brewster takes them upstairs and saves them for breakfast,” laughed Joe. Joe was studying at college and was going to be an engineer and build things.
“Yep, right now I’m building the world’s best ice cream creations, Ali, but one day I’ll be building bridges over the rivers that surround our great city. When I get that first bridge built, we’ll have to come back here and celebrate with a mile-high sundae. Or maybe a bowl of bean soup,” said Joe, being funny as always. Ali looked back at Mr. Brewster who was holding on to his nurse and tottering back to his apartment up above the drugstore.
“You know, maybe we both ought to eat more bean soup. After all, Mr. Brewster does have a million dollars, and he has lived to be very, very old,” said Joe as he wiped down the counter. “How about a super hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top for Valentine’s Day? You don’t even have to wipe down the counter for me.”
“That would be delicious, but I’d better get going before mother gets home. I need to sign my card to her and Daddy.”
“Well, I’ll give you a rain check on that,” said Joe with a smile as he waved at her and moved to where a customer had just seated himself on one of the lunch counter stools.
“See you, Joe. Bye Iris,” she said as she waved at both of her friends and started walking back to the Osgood.