Think back to when you were a tween (11-13). Your brothers and sisters were out earning money, buying new things, driving their own cars. It was a difficult time because they didn't want you hanging around, and they especially didn't want to have to keep paying for your food or soda!
Help wanted.
Seemed like a sign - well, I mean it WAS a sign, but I meant a sign that I should go up and talk to her. I stopped my bike, carefully climbed down into the ditch, then back up to the road and walked my bike across the street. Before you knew it I was knocking at the door and hoping she didn't already find someone for whatever job she had.
A little old lady came out on the porch. She had to have been about 4 feet tall, 90 lbs soaking wet and 100 or more years old! Her face had the look of tanned leather with deep thick wrinkles. Almost like the witch in Hansel and Gretel. Not trying to be mean, just painting a picture for you.
I spoke with her for about 10 minutes and before you know it I had talked me and my friend Lori into the job. Lori didn't know I offered her skills, but I was sure she would want to do this task. It wouldn't be hard, we just needed to pick berries off her raspberry bushes. We would be paid fifty cents, each!
I rode quickly rode home, changed into some shorts and a T-shirt, ran next door and told Lori about the job. We really hadn't planned anything for the afternoon so we headed out.
We spent the rest of that day and most of the next picking berries. We must have easily picked a thousand or more pints! OK, in reality - maybe thirty each, but still, that would be $15 for each of us! This would be enough to cover the cost of a movie or two and some treats.
We knocked on the door and presented Titsy with the box of pinted berries (not sure that is grammatically correct, but what else would you call it?)
She smiled and her little wrinkled face seemed to straighten out a bit. She thanked us and headed into the house. She opened her purse and gave each of us.....yup, you guessed it. Fifty cents.
Lori, the polite one always, smiled and said thank you before I could even question the amount. We grabbed our bikes and road off. When we got home I asked Lori why she didn't ask for more. She looked at me and said, "you told me the lady said she would pay us fifty cents each. That's what we got".
You know, it never dawned on me that she meant each of us and not each pint. So now you understand why Lori is such a good friend. She wasn't mad at me for assuming. She just took it in stride and realized we had helped a nice old lady with her chores.
However, we never went back.
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