contrapatrier

@@@@@It was excruciatingly boring work Mike's dad, whom I call my rich dad, owned nine of these little superettes with large parking lotsThey were the early version of the 7-11 convenience storesLittle neighborhood grocery stores where people bought items such as milk, bread, butter and cigarettesThe problem was, this was Hawaii before air conditioning, and the stores could not close its doors because of the heatOn two sides of the store, the doors had to be wide open to the road and parking lotEvery time a car drove by or pulled into the parking lot, dust would swirl and settle in the store Hence, we had a job for as long as there was no air conditioning For three weeks, Mike and I reported to MrsMartin and worked our three hoursBy noon, our work was over, and she dropped three little dimes in each of our handsNow, even at the age of 9 in the mid-1950s, 30 cents was not too excitingComic books cost 10 cents back then, so I usually spent my money on comic books and went home By Wednesday of the fourth week, I was ready to quitI had agreed to work only because I wanted to learn to make money from Mike's dad, and now I was a slave for 10 cents an hourOn top of that, I had not seen Mike's dad since that first Saturday "I'm quitting," I told Mike at lunchtimeThe school lunch was miserableSchool was boring, and now I did not even have my Saturdays to look forward toBut it was the 30 cents that really got to me This time Mike smiled "What are you laughing at?" I asked with anger and frustration "Dad said this would happenHe said to meet with him when you were ready to quit "What?" I said indignantl