Objects
Fran Weissenberg

My grandmother was a business lady in her time. Her husband had died and left her with two sons and a daughter to raise. So Grandma had learned about the ways of earning a living.

This time it was a store on the corner which would sell notions as well as candy, ice cream and sodas. The store she rented was large and gloomy until Uncle Max picked up a chandelier from a peddler.

The chandelier had obviously been in a fire and was covered with soot, so Uncle Max got it cheap. But when he put it up after spending some hours cleaning, it sent a glow into the gloomy corners and the store was transformed into a bright warm place.

Grandma was real pleased. Then my mother said that she'd bought a gift for the store too. Out came a wooden stand that my father took off his truck.

"Where do we put it?"

After much discussion, the decision was made and it had a special place on the big wall. Grandma said it looked like a queen there.

My mother, after consulting with Grandma, placed the many articles on the divided shelves-pens, Anacin, batteries for hearing aids, chapstick and other varied notions.

Grandma's youngest son, my handsome Uncle Irv, a salesman for encyclopedias got permission to put his business cards on a table.

"Mom," he promised, "you get a commission on any customers that take one of my cards and buy a set of books." Grandma looked dubious, but said nothing.

It was two weeks of hard work for the whole family before the store was ready to open. There was the shiny ice cream stand with the freezer of ice cream. In front of the counter there were six stools for people to sit.

Grandma's best neighbor, Mrs Fennelli was going to work in the store with grandma. The last night before the store opened, Mrs. Fennelli bustled in with a package under her arm.

"Mrs. Goldberg, I'm going to put up this little image of San Pedro on this wall." "What is it?"

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