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.
It's not broken said mister d's oldest son.
He took the rifle from his father's hands and demonstrated that it was still in working condition. Mr. Minser nodded in relief, glad that he had properly cleaned and fixed the rifle for Mr. D.
The two businessmen who had been laughing suddenly became silent, realizing their mistake. One of them turned to Mr. Minser and apologized, "I'm sorry for mocking your work. It seems I misunderstood the situation."
Mr. Minser waved it off with a smile. "No harm done. It's always better to be cautious when it comes to firearms."
The businessmen nodded and left the store, seemingly embarrassed by their earlier behavior. Mr. Minser went back to serving his customers, feeling satisfied with his ability to fix the rifle and maintain a good relationship with his suppliers.
As the day went on, more customers came and went, making their purchases or placing orders for various items. Mr. Minser knew most of them personally and enjoyed the small-town camaraderie that came with being the only general store owner in town.
Meanwhile, Mr. D thanked Mr. Minser for fixing the rifle and handed over the list his wife had given him. "Can you please find these ingredients for the tea? I want to make sure she feels better soon."
Mr. Minser nodded and started searching the shelves for the items on the list. He found the ginger easily but had to ask his sister, Anne, for help with the other ingredients. Anne came out from the back room and quickly gathered the necessary items, handing them to Mr. Minser.
"Thank you, Anne. I appreciate your help," he said sincerely.
Anne smiled and replied, "Of course, brother. We're a team, after all."
With the ingredients in hand, Mr. Minser packed them carefully into a bag and gave it to Mr. D. "Here you go. I hope this tea helps your wife feel better soon."
Mr. D expressed his gratitude and paid for the items before leaving the store with his sons. Mr. Minser watched them go, feeling content with the relationships he had built in the community.
The rest of the day passed by smoothly, with customers coming and going, and Mr. Minser attending to their needs. By the time he closed the store for the night, he felt tired but fulfilled. He knew that despite his financial struggles, he had a support system of loyal customers and friends who valued his services.
As he locked the door and headed home, Mr. Minser couldn't help but feel optimistic about the future. He knew that with hard work and dedication, he would eventually be able to pay off his loan and continue providing for the community he cherished.