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.
Is it not good enough that you would have to break it in front of this shop keepers face? One of them asked.
Mister D smiled No it's fine he said as he piled some thing out of the Rifle then shut it again, I just don't need my children trying to fire these things.
The businessmen nodded, satisfied with the explanation. Meanwhile, Mr. Minser continued searching for the ingredients for the tea on Mrs. D's list.
"I'm sorry, Mr. D, but I can't seem to find ginger. Do you have any idea where it might be?" Mr. Minser asked.
Mr. D thought for a moment before replying, "Hmm, I recall my wife mentioning something about keeping the ginger in a separate box on the top shelf in the back room. Maybe you missed it?"
Mr. Minser nodded and quickly disappeared into the back room once more. He carefully climbed the ladder to reach the top shelf and found the separate box full of ginger. He grabbed it and brought it back to the front of the store.
"Here you go, Mr. D. I found the ginger," Mr. Minser said, handing him the box.
Mr. D took the ginger and placed it in his bag. "Thank you, Mr. Minser. I appreciate your help," he said.
"It's no problem at all. Anything for a friend," Mr. Minser replied with a smile.
As Mr. D and his sons prepared to leave, the businessmen approached Mr. Minser again.
"Look, we need you to pay your loan by the end of the month. We've been patient enough," one of them said sternly.
Mr. Minser sighed. "I understand, but business has been slow lately. I promise I'll do my best to gather the funds and pay you back as soon as I can."
The businessmen exchanged skeptical glances but ultimately left the store without further discussion. Mr. Minser watched them go, feeling the weight of his financial struggles.
Just as he was about to close up the shop for the day, another customer entered. It was a young woman in a hurry, looking flustered.
"Excuse me, do you have any chicken and beef available? I need them for dinner tonight," she asked.
Mr. Minser's eyes lit up at the prospect of making a sale. "Yes, I do. How much do you need?" he responded.
The woman quickly told him the quantities she required, and Mr. Minser went to gather the chicken and beef for her.
As he handed over the packaged meat, the woman smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much! You just saved me from a dinner disaster," she said.
Mr. Minser smiled back. "You're welcome. It's always a pleasure to help."
Despite the challenges he faced, Mr. Minser continued to serve his customers with dedication and compassion. He knew that his store played an important role in the community, and he was determined to find a way to overcome his financial struggles and pay back his loan.