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. Don't you know anything about rifles.
He took the rifle from his father and showed the businessmen how to open and close it properly. "See, it's perfectly fine," he said confidently.
The businessmen nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Well, we'll be on our way then," one of them said. "Remember to pay us back soon."
Mr. Minser nodded, his expression filled with determination. "I will, I promise. Thank you for your patience."
As the businessmen left, Mr. Minser turned his attention back to Mr. D. "Now, let's find those ingredients for the tea," he said, heading towards the shelves.
While they were searching, Mr. D's son turned to Mr. Minser with a curious expression. "Do you really have to pay those men back? Can't you just borrow from someone else?" he asked.
Mr. Minser sighed and shook his head. "It's not that simple, son. They were kind enough to lend me the money when I needed it the most, and it's my responsibility to pay them back as soon as I can. Borrowing from someone else would only create more problems in the long run."
The boy seemed to understand, even if he didn't fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. "I hope you can pay them back soon," he said sincerely.
Mr. Minser smiled at him, appreciating the young boy's empathy. "Thank you, I hope so too." He then turned back to the shelves and finally found the list with the tea ingredients. With Mr. D's help, he gathered all the necessary items and handed them to him.
"Here you go, Mr. D. I hope this tea helps your wife feel better," he said.
Mr. D nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Minser. I appreciate your help."
With their business concluded, Mr. D and his sons bid farewell and left the store. The bustling activity in the shop continued, but Mr. Minser couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the relationships he had built with the people in his community. Despite his current struggles, he knew that their support and understanding meant a lot to him.
As he resumed attending to his customers, Mr. Minser made a quiet promise to himself to work even harder, not just to pay off his debts, but to continue being a reliable and trusted member of his community.