I looked up to see a child with a long pony-tails on each side of her head and her membership card hanging clear down to her shorts. “Do you need some help?” she said. “I believe I’ll be all right once I can get on my feet. What’s your name, child?” “I’m Casey” she said, pointing to her membership card. “Where’s your name card?” “In my wallet, Casey, which is in Hazard Pay, which is underneath me.&n...
Viola’s found her way to The Big Store at last. Is it what she hoped it would be? Washing powders were my first problem. They was selling my brand by the bucket load for 7 cents an ounce! Problem is, I had no place to keep that bucket. Then I got to thinking: I can get a two pound box at the Dollar Store with a newspaper coupon which fits on my shelf and costs me (I had to do some figuring here) six and a half cents fo...
Of course, Eufaula is a good thirty five miles from my house and the Big Store is eight miles past that but a summer evening is a good time for a drive. Ponder and I always liked to drive with the windows down catching the smells from whatever grew beside the highway. That evening, the smell was mostly honeysuckle. I caught a stink of paper mill once or twice and a big whiff of skunk as I passed a motel, but mostly it ...
I was working as night aide for Mr. Kenneth Riley when I heard the Big Store’s membership had opened up; night aides don’t hear as much as the day help but Mr. Riley’s Depends ran out early one week and his great niece, Helen, brought out a case complaining about the trip she’d made to get them. “Can you get me a glass of tea, Viola?” she huffed. “I’m about to perish from this heat” “I’ll bring it to you as s...
Not all trash is trash: that’s the first thing you’ve got to know. I’ve picked over, cleaned up and used other people’s trash all my life but I know the difference between a bargain and cheap. It’s all about quality and no Big Store can sell that off its underground shelves, no matter what you hear. You need to know how to shop. My name’s Viola; never mind how old I am, it’s probably olde...