This is part three of 'The Saint of Liberty.' If you have yet to read the prior postings of 'The Saint of Liberty' Please do. Enjoy:
Mr. Jenson looked up to see where the bus was, just as Lilly reached the door. She was struggling to open the door with the thumb and forefinger of her left hand all the time trying to keep the huge stack of boxes balanced. She was only able to open the door maybe six inches before the door slipped from her fingers and closed shut. She immediately tried again to open the door. Mr. Jenson went to open the door when Lilly dropped a small box that was on the very top of the stack. Mr. Jenson quickly changed direction to pick up the box and set it back on top of the stack. He noticed that every box was labeled with Lilly’s prefect penmanship. Mr. Jensen chuckled again and said out loud, “and efficient too!” As he adjusted the small box labeled ‘watch’. Lilly hearing Mr. Jenson crammed her head around the boxes to look up at Mr. Jenson as she sweetly said, “Oh Mr. Jenson, I didn’t see you there. How are you today sir?” Mr. Jenson moved to the door and opened it and said “I am even better seeing your shining face Lilly”. Lilly seeing the door open, tried to curtsy as she said “Thank you sooooo much Mr. Jenson” and moved towards the opening. Lilly trying to squeeze through the opening bumped into Mr. Jenson and though the door of Mr. Sugars Candy store. Mr. Jenson with a huge smile feeling that he has been blessed to spend the smallest time with such a wonderful child replied, “It is my pleasure Lilly!” as she continued to bump her way into the store.
Mr. Jenson turned and walked towards the bank knowing that this small exchange had made his life richer. His mind occupied on the wonder that was Lilly Watson prevented him from seeing Little Steven Spazcosi who was staring through the candy store window. Mr. Jenson at the last moment jumped to the left to avoid tripping over Steven. Mr. Jenson not wanting to have his moment with Lilly ruined tried to ignore that he ever saw the Spazcosi punk. Mr. Jenson never liked Steven. Not only was Steven the son of Jack Spazcosi the local mechanic, Steven had the same rail thin, stained t-shirt, old worn tennis shoe, white trash look to him as did his father. To Mr. Jenson appearance was everything. There was no reason not to be and look the best one could. What would people think if they came to his bank and saw him in wrinkled dirty clothes? Who would want to do business with a man like that?
Mr. Jenson had other reasons not to like Jack Spazcosi. Jack had been his mechanic until three winters ago. Mr. Jenson mother up in Watits County had been struck by another case of pneumonia. Mr. Jenson’s sister Helen had phoned him to say that Mother was on her death bed and surely this was IT. Hearing of the condition of his mother he knew he had to leave immediately to be by her side at this woeful time. The one problem was that his car was in need of a tune up. Mr. Jenson always took his car in for standard tune ups every three thousand miles or three months, whichever came first. He had an appointment to have the car service by Jack in two days. With his average daily mileage he put on his car he knew that would put him right at his next three thousand mile service. The problem was that his dying mother lived way up in Watits County that was at the very tip of the state more than three hundred miles away. He knew that there was no way that he could take that trip without his car being serviced.
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