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.
A lot more then you do! One of them replied
No, no I.don't think so mister d's oldest son replied. All it seems you know about is stealing money from people.
At that moment, Mr. Minser intervened, trying to diffuse the tension. "Gentlemen, please, let's not argue here. This is a place of business," he said firmly.
The businessmen stopped their bickering and turned their attention back to Mr. Minser. "Look, we understand that times have been tough for you, but we need you to pay back the loan," one of them said again.
"I know, I know," Mr. Minser replied, feeling the weight of his financial struggles. "I've been trying my best to make ends meet, but it has been harder than I anticipated."
"Is there any way you can pay at least part of it?" another businessman asked.
Mr. Minser sighed. "I'm afraid not at the moment. Business has been slow, and I've been barely managing to cover my expenses."
The businessmen exchanged glances, clearly frustrated. "Well, we need our money back, Mr. Minser. We've been patient enough," one of them said firmly.
Just then, a customer approached the counter. It was Mrs. Johnson, the housemaid from the large wheat estate nearby. "Hello, Mr. Minser," she greeted with a warm smile. "I need some flour and sugar, please."
"Of course, Mrs. Johnson. How much do you need?" Mr. Minser asked, grateful for the distraction.
"Two pounds of flour and one pound of sugar, please," she replied.
As Mr. Minser measured out the items, Mrs. Johnson glanced at the businessmen and their stern expressions. "Is everything alright, Mr. Minser?"
Mr. Minser hesitated for a moment. "Just some business matters, Mrs. Johnson. But don't worry, it will all be sorted out soon."
Mrs. Johnson nodded understandingly but still looked concerned. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. The estate values your store and the quality of your products."
"Thank you, Mrs. Johnson. I appreciate your kind words," Mr. Minser said with a smile, feeling a glimmer of hope. "I'll make sure to take you up on that offer if I need it."
With a final nod, Mrs. Johnson paid for her items and left the store. Mr. Minser turned his attention back to the businessmen. "Gentlemen, I understand your frustration, and I assure you that I am doing everything I can to repay the loan. Please bear with me a little longer."
The businessmen exchanged skeptical looks but finally nodded. "Fine, Mr. Minser. We'll give you a little more time, but we expect to see progress soon."
"Thank you for your understanding," Mr. Minser said sincerely. "I won't let you down."
As the businessmen left the store, Mr. Minser couldn't help but feel a renewed determination. He knew he had a long road ahead, but with the support of his loyal customers and friends like Mrs. Johnson, he believed he could turn things around. He was determined to make his store thrive once again and repay his debt.