第5部分(第3/7 頁)

in　working。　I'll　pay　you　10　cents　an　hour　and　you　will　work　for　three　hours　every　Saturday。〃

〃But　I　have　a　softball　game　today；〃　I　said。

Mike's　dad　lowered　his　voice　to　a　stern　tone。　〃Take　it　or　leave　it；〃　he

〃I'll　take　it；〃　I　replied；　choosing　to　work　and　learn　instead　of　playing　softball。

30　Cents　Later

By　9　a。m。　on　a　beautiful　Saturday　morning；　Mike　and　I　were　working　for　Mrs。　Martin。　She　was　a　kind　and　patient　woman。　She　always　said　that　Mike　and　I　reminded　her　of　her　two　sons　who　were　grown　and　gone。　Although　kind；　she　believed　in　hard　work　and　she　kept　us　working。　She　was　a　task　master。　We　spent　three　hours　taking　canned　goods　off　the　shelves　and；　with　a　feather　duster；　brushing　each　can　to　get　the　dust　off；　and　then　re…stacking　them　neatly。　It　was　excruciatingly　boring　work。

Mike's　dad；　whom　I　call　my　rich　dad；　owned　nine　of　these　little　superettes　with　large　parking　lots。　They　were　the　early　version　of　the　7…11　convenience　stores。　Little　neighborhood　grocery　stores　where　people　bought　items　such　as　milk；　bread；　butter　and　cigarettes。　The　problem　was；　this　was　Hawaii　before　air　conditioning；　and　the　stores　could　not　close　its　doors　because　of　the　heat。　On　two　sides　of　the　store；　the　doors　had　to　be　wide　open　to　the　road　and　parking　lot。　Every　time　a　car　drove　by　or　pulled　into　the　parking　lot；　dust　would　swirl　and　settle　in　the　store。

Hence；　we　had　a　job　for　as　long　as　there　was　no　air　conditioning。

For　three　weeks；　Mike　and　I　reported　to　Mrs。　Martin　and　worked　our　three　hours。　By　noon；　our　work　was　over；　and　she　dropped　three　little　dimes　in　each　of　our　hands。　Now；　even　at　the　age　of　9　in　the　mid…1950s；　30　cents　was　not　too　exciting。　ic　books　cost　10　cents　back　then；　so　I　usually　spent　my　money　on　ic　books