Mr. Minser owned the only general store in town. He was friends with many of the farm estates from whom he bought wheat, corn, chicken, and beef. They would often come to give him deals and do business with him. The only people who purchased from his store were the estate's servants, except for Mr. D, the man who sold him the beef and chicken. Mr. D had 15 children, one of whom was 18 and accompanied his father almost everywhere. There was only one large wheat estate nearby, as well as other large estates in the area. Any other nearby estate was at least two hundred miles away.
On a busy day, four businessmen entered his shop. They were the men from whom he had borrowed a loan one year ago in order to purchase a much-needed supply of corn and wheat. However, he was still unable to pay back the loan.
"Look," said one of them, seeming half-asleep, "you need to pay your loan."
Suddenly, there was a shout as someone tried to enter the shop, but the crowd of chatting people inside the doorway prevented them.
It happened to be his sister with her four little kids with their pocket money who liked to buy candy. His sister simply grabbed an apron, smiled, and said, "Busy day, huh?" before going into the back of the store.
"I want four candies," said the youngest, coming up to the counter and putting down his money.
"Ok, just wait one minute," he replied.
Just then, Mr. D entered with his two oldest sons. "I have got a parasol for you, plus I need my rifle back. I asked you to fix and clean it the other day," he said. "Oh, and I got this list. I don't really know what's on it, save ginger. My wife wrote them down. She ain't feeling good these days. It's ingredients to make some sort of tea, I heard." He then frowned.
"I'll get it for you," Minser said. "Exactly when was she supposed to have the baby?"
In a week, Mr. D replied.
Ok, I'll get your riffle for you.
I want my candy now! Said the his nephew
Anne, could you give your son the candies he wants and let him keep his money?
All right she said as she came out of the back room
Anne handed the four candies to her son and let him keep his money. The little boy happily thanked his mother and started eating his candy. Meanwhile, Mr. Minser went to the back room to retrieve Mr. D's rifle and look for the ingredients for the tea. He quickly found the rifle and made sure it was in good condition before returning to the front of the store.
"I found your rifle, Mr. D," Mr. Minser said as he handed it over. "It's all cleaned and fixed up."
Mr, d put the Rifle over his knee and made it snap open in a half but still connected, one who did not use a rifle like that would have thought it broken.
Two of the business men started laughing.
"What's so funny?" Mr. Minser asked, confused.
One of the businessmen replied, "That's a break-action shotgun, not a rifle. It's a common mistake, but it's still funny to see someone trying to open it like a rifle."
Mr. D looked embarrassed and quickly closed the shotgun, muttering, "I never really understood these things."
The other businessmen continued chuckling, but Mr. Minser reassured Mr. D, saying, "Don't worry, it's an easy mistake to make. Now, let me find the ingredients for the tea your wife needs."
Mr. Minser started going through the shelves in search of the items on the list. As he searched, the businessmen approached him.
"You know, Mr. Minser, we really need you to pay back the loan," one of them said sternly.
"I understand, and I'm working on it," Mr. Minser replied earnestly. "Business has been slow, but I'm doing my best."
The businessmen exchanged glances and one of them sighed, saying, "We've been patient, but we have our own obligations to fulfill. We can't wait forever."
Just as they were having this conversation, a young woman burst into the store, panting and out of breath.
"Mr. Minser!" she exclaimed. "I need your help! My father's horse has gone missing, and we're supposed to leave for a trip tomorrow!"
Mr. Minser sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the various demands and issues coming at him all at once.
"Alright, alright," he said, trying to calm the woman down. "I'll do my best to help you find the horse. Give me a moment, please."
He turned back to the businessmen and said, "I apologize, but I have another matter to attend to at the moment. Let's discuss the loan repayment later."
The businessmen nodded, seemingly understanding, and Mr. Minser quickly made his way to the woman seeking help in finding her father's horse. The busy day continued in his general store, filled with a mix of responsibilities, demands, and unexpected interruptions.