I’m a self-proclaimed chocoholic!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been hopelessly addicted to all thing’s chocolate – whether it be brownies, cakes, cookies, ice cream or pudding, but especially candy – with my perpetual sweet tooth.
As a bright-eyed youngster, two of my all-time favorite holidays were undoubtedly Easter and Halloween; because they both involved receiving a plethora of confectionery delights, which is probably why I went trick-or-treating through my senior year of high school.
You can keep your judgments to yourself.
In light of this eye-opening discovery, it should come as no surprise when this rising seventh grader stepped into a penny candy store surrounded by a seemingly endless supply of – you guessed it – chocolate and thought he won the Mega Millions Jackpot.
If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought that I jumped into a vat of delicious liquid chocolate at the legendary candy factory headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Instead, I was standing inside Paglia’s Corner Market at the intersection of Smiley Street and Line Avenue on the north side of Ellwood City, Pa. with my younger siblings.
It seemed like bells and whistles were sounding off like alarms as chocolate bars of every kind danced about my head; but I finally came to my senses upon realizing it was a little bell with a chocolate bar attached to the front door of the fine establishment.
This chocolate connoisseur thought he had died and gone to heaven.
During my days at Northside Elementary School, I often overheard various classmates talking about the renowned five-and-dime store over a few decadent pieces of penny candy in the school cafeteria; but I was never sure of its exact location until stumbling upon it one day on my way to Veterans Memorial Swimming Pool in Ewing Park.
Eureka!
Unfortunately, the hidden coin pouch sewn into my bathing suit was always empty on the return trip home from the community swimming pool after the monetary gift – which Mom had bestowed upon me – was spent on snacks at the concession stand.
However, this would-be financial wizard had a recent cash infusion into his privately owned savings account – a bright yellow ceramic piggy bank on his desktop bookcase hutch – upon receiving multiple birthday cards filled with enough money to make it rain the previous Saturday.
A frenzied shopping spree was most definitely in my immediate future!
Following an enjoyable afternoon of splashing around at the Olympic-size swimming pool in the park with my little sisters, I changed back into street clothes inside the locker room before starting our long trek home through the beautiful tree-lined streets in the Ewing Park neighborhood of the mid-size industrial city north of Pittsburgh.
Shortly after reaching the intersection of Madison and Wampum avenues with Dom’s Supermarket on the opposite side of the junction, this extremely talkative threesome quickly scurried up to Line Avenue – a well-traveled thoroughfare – prior to crossing over to land directly on the doorstep of their intended destination – the popular penny candy store.
What are we doing here?
“We’re gonna shop til we drop,” I chuckled with an air of certainty after pulling out my billfold and handing the wide-eyed lassies each a one-dollar bill. “Considering I had a huge windfall on my birthday, I’m feeling a lot like Bob Barker on the Price Is Right when he hands out money to the contestants; but you have to make sure to spend every single penny.”
When did you become Daddy Warbucks?
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth!
Upon entering the quaint little store, we were enthusiastically greeted by Brownie – a very friendly multi-colored Pekingese dog – who lavished our sunbathed faces with affectionate kisses as we bent down to stroke the four-legged furball furiously wagging his tail; after which he darted behind the glass counter to receive a treat from the elderly store owner – Linda Paglia.
Aside from the basic staples like bread, eggs and milk, the seasoned businesswoman also sold a variety of ice cream novelties, popsicles in every flavor and snack cakes of every shape and size; but we couldn’t take our eyes off the things that mattered most – Bazooka gum, candy bracelets, jawbreakers, pumpkin seeds, red and grape Swedish fish, tootsie rolls and a whole lot more.
With boxes of candy in every direction, it was every child’s dream.
As soon as we carefully selected a number of items for purchase, the gray-haired lady expeditiously opened up three little brown paper sacks and began filling them according to our specified wishes.
While some of the scrumptious treats were weighed on a scale, we were required to count out a few others along with the stout grandmother – who had a thick Italian accent – until each bag was filled to the brim.
Armed to the teeth with an arsenal of sugary snacks, we bid ärēvā’derchē to the Italian immigrant standing next to the cash register after purchasing one last item – a giant gumball from the machine next to the door – before making an exit without a penny to our name.
I’ll trade a whole dollar for all this candy any day of the week.
“You’re preaching to the choir,” I jested with a broad smile prior to sinking my teeth into a yummilicious frozen treat. “Since this is one of the hottest days of the summer, these ice cream sandwiches are going to be an added bonus; because they’ll help cool us off on our walk back to the house.”
Me wanna do it every day.
“I’d be broke by the end of next week,” I divulged with a sideways glance while leading the way up Smiley Street to Hazel Avenue. “Plus, we’d all end up at the dentist office with a mouth full of cavities if we ate this much candy every single day for two weeks straight; and I don’t relish the idea of being at the wrong end of a drill.”
I’m gonna brush my teeth as soon as I get home!
Mark S. Price is a former city government/county education reporter for The Sampson Independent. He currently resides in Clinton.