Mandy-Unbreakable Bonds

Mandy: Ice Cream Shop

            My co-authors have asked me to share a little about myself so you can get to know me better.  I’m not sure where to start because I have never done anything like this before.  When I asked them, they told me to write what I know.  So, here goes nothing.  My parents owned a little ice cream shop in Shoshoni, Wyoming.  When they first opened it, I had no idea how famous it would be, but I loved it from the get go and knew I would spend my life there. 

            The most amazing thing about the ice cream shop was how great it always smelled.  Ice cream flavors by the dozen mixed with the smell of different cones.  From the moment I walked in the door my mouth would water.  My favorite time was when you first opened a bucket to replace a new ice cream that had just been finished.   The flavors swirled around in my head.  I wished sometimes I could mix several flavors together to make some exotic new flavor, but Mom said to leave them alone.

            The feel of the shop was of a family, and when people came in they knew they were among friends.  There was a young boy that used to come in every Monday and sit at the counter.  He never had the correct amount of money, but it didn’t matter.  My dad would serve him up a scoop of his favorite flavor, Vanilla.  That boy would sit at that counter, savoring every bite, licking the bowl clean when he finished.  An unbreakable bond built over the scoop of ice cream, no words needed. 

            Now, that I’m no longer there, (longer story, which you can read about in, “Flight from the Water Planet) I miss the ordinary routine of working in the store.  I miss wiping sticky handprints of happy children off the tables and counters.  It makes me sad not to hear the gossip and local news of the people that would stop by to visit.  I miss waffle cones, with a scoop of butter pecan and walking down the street on a hot summer day, sucking on a straw to get the smooth, thick chocolate shake from the cup to my waiting taste buds.  I thought my life would always be in that little shop.  I figured I would carry on the vision of my parents, but instead I’m on a journey takeing me far from the comforts of home.