The Perfect Gift

Chapter 1

Coming down the stairs from her shared bedroom, Mary stood silent, listening in to her father's conversation on the telephone.

"What do you mean, Frank? I need to provide for my family, and the mercantile is all that we've got!" said her father.

Although Mary couldn't hear the reply from the other end of the phone, she knew that her family was in trouble. Quickly distracted by her brother racing down the stairs, clearly oblivious to their father's conversation, she continued down the stairs after her brother.

"Good morning children," said Annabelle, Mary's grandmother, as they approached the small wooden table, acting as a dining room table, even though it was missing a chair and was quite stained.

Mary's brother, John, kissed his grandmother on the cheek, and grabbed a small piece of candy from the jar near the front doors of the mercantile on his way out.

"Ah, ah, ah... not so fast. Where are you going so early in the morning that you can't even stop for a proper breakfast?" said Annabelle.

John began to mumble a reply when their father came out from his office, as pale as a ghost. John used this time to make his escape from the mercantile. "How did you sleep, Mary?" asked their father.

"Okay, I guess," lied Mary. Only her grandmother knew that she was still having rough nights after her mom had died nearly a year ago. She never thought that her father would understand, and he would probably just try to change her or tell her to move on with her life, but she never wants to forget her mother's memory. Her mother's voice ran through her head "Mary, you know I am sick, and I won't be able to take care of the family much longer. I want you to be brave for me, for your father, for your grandma, and even John too, if you think of it." All she could think about was how she had let her mother down. She hadn't been very brave at all since her mother died. That was probably why her family, and the mercantile, were at risk.

"Well, Mary, I wish I could spend more time with you, but I've got an urgent matter to discuss with Frank in person. Is there any chance that you could take charge of the mercantile for me while I'm gone?"

Mary almost forgot where she was until her father's voice returned her from her thoughts.

"What was that- oh ya - sure thing, Pa." replied Mary.

"Thanks, honey. You're a good kid."

Mary's father, speeding by like a train, took his coat from the hook hanging by the door. He opened the door, and ran out, with the door slamming behind him. The truth was, Mary was very used to running the mercantile while her father was away on business, but she always wished that he would ask her to help him, even while he was still there.
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With an hour already passed, Mary had run out of jobs she could do around the mercantile. Not a single customer had come in to purchase even a small loaf of bread, an item that was bought normally multiple times in a day. Sometime during the morning, Annabelle had left Mary's sight, a usual thing, so nothing that troubled Mary. The only things that were troubling her was the quietness of the mercantile, and her father's conversation earlier that morning. Did those two things have a connection? Even the breeze seemed to be holding its release, as she looked out the window, showing even more how empty the mercantile had been all morning.