Country Living

Is life worth living?
Aye, with the best of us,
Heights of us, depths of us
Life is the test of us!

Corinne Robinson
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It's about a half mile down a dusty road called Kanck's Crossing. It's just past Blander's brook. If you turn right at the Holiday Inn you'll find it. Keep going, as I said, about half a mile.

There's a front porch with a couple of chairs. There's an old nail barrel they use for a table now. There used to be a Coca Cola machine until the distributor came and took it away. Inside the shelves are still there but they're mostly empty now, Oh, there might be a few cans of beans or cranberry sauce. But most of it is gone. Sold or discarded. They use to sell worms to the fishermen and candy to the kids. There's an old upright piano. It hasn't been tuned for, oh, I don't know, ten years maybe. The Paradise Glee Club used to come and sing there on Friday nights. I guess Marty still plays it some. There are some wicker chairs stacked up against the wall.

They used to be pretty busy until the state put through a highway about 3 miles to the east of Krank's. So the traffic to Paradise don't come through there any more. Pity. Jack, their eldest, wanted them to move. But Bob didn't want to give up the place, he'd put so much time and effort into it.

Every once in a while someone would stop by to use the rest room and Marty would fix up a pot of coffee and they'd sit and chat. They'd talk about the war, the gossip in town, the river pollution or how the high school basketball team was doing. Their kids didn't come to visit. Bob says he's used to it. Marty isn't.

Their pick up is parked at the side. They don't use it much except they get dressed up and go to church Sunday mornings. There isn't much else to do.

I don't know how they get by but I guess they got some money, cause they eat. Yup, they raised two boys there, Jack and Stan. Jack got a scholarship and went off to State College. Stan joined the Navy. So Bob and Marty live alone now. If you met them you'd say "Here's a happy couple."

Bob says "I could never leave her. She knows everything there is no know about me."
Martha says "He's the very best man I ever met."

Over the porch there's sign that reads "PARADISE COUNTRY STORE"

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DB
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AUTUMN QUESTION

(This is not a contest.)

At what event of the past do you wish you could be present? Why?

5 responses so far.

dbdacoba@aol.com

Thank you.
DB
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