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When I was around seven years old, I was finally allowed to walk the two and half blocks to the local “mom and pop” store. My mom had a two, three and four year old at home, so I was pressed into service as her gofer. This was such a huge deal for a kid who was barely old enough to cross the street alone.
The local store was run by Big Mike and his wife Bea. In those days, Big Mike would deliver bags of groceries in his black station wagon. Mom could give me a list, Big Mike would fill the order and then drive me home with the bags.
While her husband was filling orders, Miss Bea would man the counter. They made a good business by making great hoagies (subs) and cheesesteaks. In front of the counter were the roll cases. On top of the cases were boxes of candy.
I can picture it like yesterday. Boxes of a child’s delight: Candy cigarettes, bubblegum cigars, bottlecaps, wax lips, and Bit “o” Honey. There were also the penny candies: The paper strips of sugar dots, red hot dollars, cherry fish, and Bazooka Joe bubblegum.
There was also hand made fudge, made in the back room by Miss Bea herself. She made the best chocolate fudge. It was chocolate-y, creamy, and sometimes there were the special ones with walnuts. It cost 15 cents for a square.
It sat right there at my eye level.
I would look at it and drool. With four kids and a tight budget, mom very rarely gave me candy money. It was even more rare that I was allowed to spend the nickel or two in change.
So I lusted after the fudge.
One day, as I was getting my order rung up, the telephone rang and Miss Bea went to answer it. I seized the opportunity….and the fudge. Quickly, I shoved it into my jacket pocket.
She returned and we finished up our business. Big Mike was putting bags into the car as I turned to leave the store. Miss Bea stepped over to me and leaned in close. I could smell the onions on her hands mingling with the Jean Nate that she wore.
“I saw you take the candy, dear. You may keep it…this time. Just remember that you come in here every day and if you try that again, I will scold you in front of anyone who happens to be in this store. Some day, you’ll want to work here like all the big girls and I would hate to tell you no. Now you go on, and tell your mommy I said hello”
I was so ashamed. It took me years until I could ever look her in the face. I never stole from her again.
I grew up and yes, I did work for her. I also worked for her son, when he took over the family business. When Son2 was born, Miss Bea got to see him before we even went to our own house.
It’s strange, the way lives intermingle.
I miss that store. I miss that family. Miss Bea and Big Mike are long gone. But her lesson has stayed with me a long time.
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Tug said:
on October 1, 2008 at 10:14 PMIsn’t it awesome the lessons we learn? I came from a town like that…it was great.
OMG – wax lips? LOVED THEM. Seems like they were seasonal for some reason – Halloween-ish maybe? The fudge? Memories of my grandma stirring it like mad…holy hell I wish I had her arms. She made the BEST.FUDGE.EVER.
Tugs last blog post..Hungry?
DutchBitch said:
on October 1, 2008 at 11:22 PMI guess at some point most of us pull a stunt like that at one time. I know I did with a very similar outcome as yours.. And we learn..
It’s great you worked for them in the end! I never got that chance but I worked for the store next door
DutchBitchs last blog post..Can I just say?
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 6:44 AMTug-The wax lips and the syrup filled soda bottles were there year-round. The vampire teeth came out for Halloween.Everyone knew about Mike’s Market. It was how we gave directions to anywhere!
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 6:46 AMDutchBitch-It was like a rite of passage to work at the store.Once you were 16, the girls could work the counter and the boys were hired to stock shelves. EVERYONE worked at Mike’s!
Avitable said:
on October 2, 2008 at 7:57 AMI did that, too, but I never got caught. That’s probably why I’m such an evil person now!
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 9:09 AMAvitable-I would call you many things-twisted, devious,or sneaky-but not exactly evil. You’re like a beanie baby…squishy on the inside.
delmer said:
on October 2, 2008 at 11:17 AMVery sweet story.
It reminded me of my mother letting me walk down to the local carry out for some necessities one day. I was probably about 8 and on the way home some older girls wanted to look in the bag I had. I wouldn’t let them.
delmers last blog post..Newness
Jezebel said:
on October 2, 2008 at 11:38 AMUnlike you, I didn’t learn my lesson! As a young child, my mom and I used to frequent this stationary store. I stole a pencil once and wasn’t caught so each time I went, I became a little more daring. After about the 10th time, I figured if I kept stealing, I’d wind up in jail so I gave up a life of crime and went the straight and narrow.
But I could really use a piece of fudge right now.
Jezebels last blog post..the wind beneath my ass
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 11:48 AMdelmer-You little devil! Even at such a young age you had girls wanting to check your package!!
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 11:52 AMJezebel-
Do I look surprised? You could have been a hard-core prison bitch! 
Grant said:
on October 2, 2008 at 12:37 PMIt took years before I ever got caught, and by then I was up to sunglasses instead of candy. The store manager had some high-tech surveillance equipment well before it became common. Anyway, I had to do the whole getting arrested / trial / public service thing, but it was really the embarrassment of being caught that taught me the real lesson. That being – don’t get caught. Getting caught is really the only thing against the law.
Grants last blog post..I Got Nothing
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 12:44 PMGrant-All of that for sunglasses? Were they Ray-Bans or something equally pricey? I remember the surveillance cameras that first came out-those huge black box-shaped gizmos. Isn’t it amazing that now they are so tiny?
Coal Miner's Granddaughter said:
on October 2, 2008 at 2:30 PMGreat story, hon. I think it’s great that you were able to work for them and work past the guilt.
Coal Miner’s Granddaughters last blog post..Nosedive
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 3:10 PMCMG-Every so often, if she innocently looked over my shoulder while I was counting my drawer, I couldn’t help but feel guilty–even though I wasn’t!
Fantastagirl said:
on October 2, 2008 at 6:32 PMI worked in a grocery store in college – I’ll never forget the day I was called into the managers office – not knowing why – I went up, standing there was a man I had just helped in the floral depart. With the arrangement he paid for. and on the managers desk – about $70 worth of groceries that he had put in his coat and he didn’t pay for. The look on his face, when I said, yes, I helped him, he paid for the flowers, no I didn’t ring up the grocery items. He didn’t pay for those.
Long story short – he had been stealing from the store for a long time, and they finally busted him. I don’t know what happened next, as I gave my statement and that was the end of it for me, and I never saw the man in the store again.
Now, I don’t think store owners and managers are as forgiving.
Metalmom said:
on October 2, 2008 at 7:06 PMFAntastagirl-In the newspapers I read a lot about folks who steal clothes and groceries over and over again.I often wonder why they go back to the same places. I don’t blame store owners for not being forgiving. I think there’s a huge difference between “full timers” and a little kid’s “first time”.
whall said:
on October 7, 2008 at 9:07 AMThat’s a great lesson. Much better than “cut off the hand that steals” as a first time crook, methinks. It’s also better than just letting you get away with it too.
I can’t wait to use this lesson on my kids!
whalls last blog post..Greed: would you like a side of…
Metalmom said:
on October 7, 2008 at 10:01 AMwhall-We have used it ourselves and it works. Just beware of returning things to the store! Some places will prosecute instead of giving a kid credit for returning it! If you are on friendly terms with the manager or owner, then I’d make them return it to the store.