Reaching up to the top shelf, Kathleen Kelly pulled down an old, dusty
book.
'This one looks so familiar', she thought.
Opening the pages, the sent of daisies caught her nose. Peeking back behind her up on the shelf she searched for some daisies, but with none there, she soon found a flat, dried flower been flattened as a bookmark inside the book.
Reading the cover, she realized how this was her favorite book as a young girl. The title was 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streatfield. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered all the summer afternoons with she and her mother twirling about the room, pretending that she was a ballerina.
Finally controlling herself, she wiped her eyes and put the book back. Children were streaming into the Shop Around the Corner and sitting down, jabbering about their wonderful time at the Festival outside.
Pulling out the book, 'Strega Nona', she reached for the "Fairy Tale Hat" by the cash register and took her place on the stool in front of the window facing all the children. The bustling of more children coming in began to slow down a bit, and it got closer and closer to the time of which story time was to begin.
Turning the pages, holding up the pictures… she read on and on about Strega Nona hiring help and then leaving town to visit her friend, Strega Amelia.
"'Oh, yes—yes—Strega Nona,' said Big Anthony. But inside he was thinking, My chance has come!"
She continued with Big Anthony getting the pasta going, feeding the whole town, and then being unable to stop the pot of making pasta, Strega Nona comes back in time to save them all. For, his punishment, Big Anthony is to eat all the pasta…
"'Poor Big Anthony… the end'", she finished, all the children were smiling and clapping with joy.
The quiet story time was over and it was soon bundling with activity as everyone ran about searching for books and bought presents for the holidays.
Kathleen was helping one little girl with some books when a man, whom she thought must be the girl's dad, came over.
"Is this your dad?" Kathleen asked the young girl.
"No, Annabel, is my niece" the man answered.
"Your niece?" she wondered.
"My niece, right, Aunt Annabel?" he asked the little girl.
"Yep! And Matt is…" the little girl began
"Oh wait, let me guess… Matt is your uncle." Seeing them both shaking their heads, Kathleen tried again, "your grandpa? Great Grandpa-"
"I'm his brother!" interrupted Matt.
"Ah…" Kathleen sighed.
"We're a typical American family," said the man.
Kathleen began to add up all their books and handed the bag over to the man.
"May I ask who you are?" asked the man.
"Kathleen Kelly and I'm the owner of this store," she answered, "and who are you?"
"Joe, just call me Joe." He answered. Handing him the bag, he and his kids walked out the store and down the road.
"I hope they come back, that's how we won't be going out of business…"
'This one looks so familiar', she thought.
Opening the pages, the sent of daisies caught her nose. Peeking back behind her up on the shelf she searched for some daisies, but with none there, she soon found a flat, dried flower been flattened as a bookmark inside the book.
Reading the cover, she realized how this was her favorite book as a young girl. The title was 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streatfield. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered all the summer afternoons with she and her mother twirling about the room, pretending that she was a ballerina.
Finally controlling herself, she wiped her eyes and put the book back. Children were streaming into the Shop Around the Corner and sitting down, jabbering about their wonderful time at the Festival outside.
Pulling out the book, 'Strega Nona', she reached for the "Fairy Tale Hat" by the cash register and took her place on the stool in front of the window facing all the children. The bustling of more children coming in began to slow down a bit, and it got closer and closer to the time of which story time was to begin.
Turning the pages, holding up the pictures… she read on and on about Strega Nona hiring help and then leaving town to visit her friend, Strega Amelia.
"'Oh, yes—yes—Strega Nona,' said Big Anthony. But inside he was thinking, My chance has come!"
She continued with Big Anthony getting the pasta going, feeding the whole town, and then being unable to stop the pot of making pasta, Strega Nona comes back in time to save them all. For, his punishment, Big Anthony is to eat all the pasta…
"'Poor Big Anthony… the end'", she finished, all the children were smiling and clapping with joy.
The quiet story time was over and it was soon bundling with activity as everyone ran about searching for books and bought presents for the holidays.
Kathleen was helping one little girl with some books when a man, whom she thought must be the girl's dad, came over.
"Is this your dad?" Kathleen asked the young girl.
"No, Annabel, is my niece" the man answered.
"Your niece?" she wondered.
"My niece, right, Aunt Annabel?" he asked the little girl.
"Yep! And Matt is…" the little girl began
"Oh wait, let me guess… Matt is your uncle." Seeing them both shaking their heads, Kathleen tried again, "your grandpa? Great Grandpa-"
"I'm his brother!" interrupted Matt.
"Ah…" Kathleen sighed.
"We're a typical American family," said the man.
Kathleen began to add up all their books and handed the bag over to the man.
"May I ask who you are?" asked the man.
"Kathleen Kelly and I'm the owner of this store," she answered, "and who are you?"
"Joe, just call me Joe." He answered. Handing him the bag, he and his kids walked out the store and down the road.
"I hope they come back, that's how we won't be going out of business…"