“One thing she does have” Mike thought to himself. “She has a good voice. A very, good voice.”
He was in the mini mart, sitting behind the counter, with a ceramic cup was in front of him and a tall plastic cup with a straw rising from it. An old cash register was resting at the end of the counter. Below it, encased within glass, were carefully placed rows of penny candy, bazooka gum pieces and trinkets. Behind and above him, in a fancy cabinet that hung from the ceiling contained rows and varieties of cigarettes. Fortunately, the cabinet had doors that folded down and covered the choices. He did not like cigarettes but, feeling very hypocritical, he sold them to those who asked for them. Continuing past the counter, a soda machine was installed offering Coke products including Dr. Pepper. The installment held a variety of plastic cups, lids, and straws. Just beyond that was the coffee area. He brewed only two types, regular and decaf, in separate 30 cup electric percolators. Styrofoam cups and lids were stacked between them and a tall container of powdered cream was next to them. The coffee and filters were stored below it hidden by cabinet doors. Mike grabbed the ceramic cup and walked around the counter toward the coffee pot.
The bell over the door jingled as he let go of the lever that emptied coffee from the pot to his cup and turned to see who entered the store. A man donning a blue baseball cap sporting the Kansas City Royals insignia, looked at him, smirked and nodded to him. Mike returned his nod, racking his brain trying to remember who he is because he did recognize him. He watched the man turn and walk down the potato chip aisle. Mike walked back to his chair behind the counter and as soon as he sat down, the man returned to the counter.
“Hi, Mike,” the man’s gray eyes focused on Mike’s eyes, placing a bag of chips on the counter.
“Hello,” Mike responded. “Forgive me. I have been away awhile, and I know I know you, but I don’t recall your name.”
“Of course. I get it,” the man continued to glare at Mike. “My name is Dale Mueller. I own a farm up the road a bit.”
“Yes, yes. You have a daughter Lisa, who I went to school with, right?” Mike responded, offering his hand toward him.
The man did not move and Mike, feeling awkward, dropped his hand to the counter. Outside, the beautiful voice began to sing “Jingle Bells”.
“I have a question for you, Mike,” Mr. Mueller began. “Why is she singing on your property?”
Mike placed his hands and intertwined his fingers together, and concentrated his eyes carefully into Mr. Mueller’s eyes, and asked a question in return, “Why not?”
“I don’t like what she is doing,” Mr. Mueller repositioned his feet and stood taller.
“Well, I am sorry, but I like those songs,” Mike continued sitting with his hands folded before him. He was trying, extremely hard, to contain his composure.
“She is spouting false hope,” the man continued.
“I don’t think so. In fact, I think just the opposite.”
“You do?” Mr. Mueller continued his staring at Mike.
“I do.” Mike whispered.
The bell jingled again causing Mr. Mueller to release his stare at the doorway. Mike did not release his stare or relax from his position.
“Hi, Mr. Mueller. Mike is everything okay?” a familiar voice asked him. It was Lou’s voice.
Mr. Mueller turned back toward him and asked, “How much for the chips, Mike?”
“Fifty-nine cents,” Mike answered him.
“Too bad,” Mr. Mueller said as he turned to exit the store, leaving the chips behind. “As long as she sings, you have lost a customer.”
Mike watched him leave the store and finally looked at Lou who was standing in front of him.
“Wow,” Mike whispered, grabbing the bag of chips, and opening it. He first offered the open bag to Lou, who reached inside it and took a chip. Then he replicated her movement and slowly snapped a chip between his teeth.
“Who is she, Mike?” Lou asked him, nodding toward the front window.
“Just a girl. She came in last night and asked me for permission to set up her stuff.” Mike said as he turned his attention to the girl singing and ringing her bell.
“What did you two argue about this morning?” Lou asked as she turned to follow his gaze.
“Oh, it was about the bell,” Mike smiled, taking another chip from the bag. “ I thought 6:30 was a little early for the bell.”
“But not the singing?”
“Nope. I like her singing.”
Lou turned her head to look at him. He was looking out the window and the light from it illuminated his face in such a way that it brightened his blue eyes just a shade brighter, his blond hair seemed a bit more golden, and she smiled before she said, “Me, too.”
Outside, Kristy continued to sing and ring her bell. As cars slowed, she would wave, and the car would speed up and continue on its way. Back inside, Lou continued her discussion with Mike.
“She came into the bakery this morning,” she simply stated.
“Really? What did she want?” he asked continuing to crunch potato chips.
“I really don’t know but she seemed to know an awful lot about me. Very mysterious,” she commented as she turned toward Mike and took another chip from the bag.
“Mysterious is a good way to describe her,” Mike turned his attention from the window to Lou. “Last night, after she and I had talked and I gave her permission, she walked out the door and I followed her. When I stepped out, she has disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
“She wasn’t there. I went through the door just a few seconds behind her and looked down both sides of the street and she was nowhere to be seen. But a funny thing happened, a mysterious thing,” he smiled at Lou. “There were candles in the lampposts, and they were lit.”
“I noticed the candles, too,” Lou commented.
“Were you spying on me?” Mike teased.
Lou crunched a chip between her teeth.
A loud noise interrupted their conversation and they both returned their attention to the front window. Outside, a car had stopped in front of Kristy who continued singing. The car contained a group of teenagers. A boy was hanging out of the passenger side window, gesturing and his muffled voice reached them. Mike started around the counter, but Lou was just a step or two ahead of him as they started for the door. By the time they had reached the confrontation, Kristy had stopped singing but the bell still ringing as she kept swinging it up and down, keeping time to the tune she had been singing. The boy was continuing his diatribe, “and you are a loser, too. Why else would you have a kettle? Are you cooking your lunch?” From the backseat, three people snuggled together, two girls on either side of a boy snuggled in the middle, erupted into laughter. The driver said nothing, looking straight forward, waiting for orders from the leader of this pack, the boy leaning out the window.
When the laughter died down, Mike watched Kristy smile before she spoke, “Would you like to join me, Michelle? You have lovely voice. How about you Billy? Susan? Or is it, Susie? John? I know you can sing.” She then looked directly at the boy who had been teasing her. “Or you, Ryan? Would you like to join me?”
Inside the car, Michelle asked the others, “How does she know are names? Let’s go. Ryan. Let’s go!”
Ryan pulled himself back inside the window as he stared at Kristy.
Kristy was still smiling, and she said to him, “My name is Kristy.”
Ryan squinted his eyes at her as he instructed the driver, “Let’s go, Johnny.”
The car squealed away. Mike and Lou looked at each other as Kristy turned toward them.
“Oh, hi guys. I didn’t see you there.” Kristy stopped ringing her bell. “I need a break. Shall we go inside?” She the stepped toward the store and, Mike and Lou, followed her.
Kristy headed straight toward the coffee corner and selected a Styrofoam cup from the stack. She placed it on the counter before her and then carefully tore the corners of two sugar packets and poured them into the cup. She placed the cup before the regular coffee pot spigot and pulled it forward causing the dark brew to empty into the cup. Behind her the door opened and the bell jingled.
“Every time a bell tingles, an angel earns its wings – or something like that,” she somewhat quoted as she turned to face the two people who followed her.
Lou smiled and said, “Something like that.”
“Are you okay?” Mike asked her as he ignored what was being said.
“Of course,” Kristy answered, blowing into her cup to cool off the hot drink. She walked in between the two of them and paused at the counter to set the cup on it. “Come over here and sit down.”
Mike and Lou looked at each other, sending questions to each other with their eyes, and walked to the counter. Lou stood beside the blond and Mike continued to go around the end of the counter to return to his stool.
“Well, Mike, I expect to see that car, and others, stop like that more often in the coming days. Do I still have your permission to sing there?” Kristy asked and casually pointed outside.
Mike looked at her. The green eyes looked at him, the gaze serious now and he had the feeling that he was being tested. He nodded affirmatively. The eyes became more intense and she asked him again.
“Yes, you do,” he answered, and the eyes seemed to change dramatically and were smiling at him.
“Who are you?” Lou asked her when this exchange came to an end.
“I told you, a friend. Which reminds me to ask you two – how long have you two been friends?”
Lou looked at Mike and laughed. Mike looked down for just a moment before answering the question. “A very, long time. I would say all of our lives. Wouldn’t you say, Louise?”
Lou, first glared at him for using her full name, then said, “Yes, all of our lives.”
“Hmmm, then I would have thought you would have some of your bakery items at the store. I sure would have liked a doughnut,” Kristy picked up her cup. “What do I owe you?”
“Nothing. On the house whenever you need it. In fact, you can have anything you need,” Mike let her know.
Kristy grinned at him, toasted her cup toward him and started to the door. She suddenly stopped and returned to the counter.
“It seems I am about to have a visitor. I may stay here for him,” she said and sipped from the cup.
“There is no one here but us,” Lou noted aloud.
“Wait just a second,” Kristy turned toward the door.
A light blue American Rambler was just turning left into the store’s driveway and pulled forward slightly turning to stop at the first fuel pump. The man stepped from the car, stood, and looked toward the area where Kristy’s kettle stood at the corner of the driveway. He then stepped away from the open car door, turned and closed it. The three people inside watched him as he walked around the rear of the car, to the side to open the lid to the gas door and remove the cap that he placed on the roof. He pulled the pump handle from the pump, inserted it into the car, pulled the lever to begin filling the gas tank. He paused again and looked at the black kettle hanging from the tripod as he waited for the process to end. The pump stopped and he reversed the process. After he replaced the gas cap and closed the lid, turned, and started to walk to the front door.
As he entered the building, the bell jingled and stepped in to see three sets of eyes staring at him.
“Good morning,” he said and smiled at them. He looked at Kristy and smiled at her and said, “I was hoping to see you.”
“And here I am, Paul,” Kristy smiled back at him. “My name is Kristy.”
He nodded and stepped toward the counter where the three stood. “And how do you know my name?”
“She seems to know a lot about us, Pastor,” Lou answered for Kristy.
Kristy laughed, a genuine laugh, and she looked at Lou, then to Mike and back to Paul. “She is right. I do and I know more than you will ever know.”
“Well,” the minister responded. “I know that you have a beautiful voice, Kristy.”
“Thank you. Would you care to join me, Pastor?”
At that question, Paul laughed. “No, no, but I have a proposition for you. I would like to invite you to our worship service Sunday. Would you please come? It would be an honor to have you there.”
Kristy did not hesitate and resoundingly said, “Yes! I will be there. Would you like me to come to the first or second service?”
Paul paused and asked, “How did you know we have two services?”
Kristy simply smiled, jumped forward and hugged him.
To be continued…
My First Stories 