Pursuing the Dream (The Cider Stand II)

Charlotte closed her stand once more.  She then counted her money.  It was only $104.   Overall, she made $1,800 off of her cider stand this year.  It wasn’t a lot but it was a start.  A start to the dream that Charlotte really wanted to pursue – her own bakery.

It was not that Charlotte hated the stand.  When she had it open, she loved every minute of it.  It was just that she felt that everything was so limited as to what she could offer to the customer.  She wanted to give them a lot more than what she had.  With her increasingly popular cider, some donuts and a couple pastries, it wasn’t a lot for the customer to choose from.

The cider stand, although it remained the same size, seemed to get smaller to Charlotte by the day.  Next year, she would try to secure a larger area to sell her cider and baked goods.  With the weather getting colder, she knew that it was only a matter of time before she had to close her stand.  For Charlotte, there was no particular date as to when she would close her stand.  This was decided by the weather.  The first snow that comes would be the last day her stand would be open.

Charlotte didn’t want her stand to close.  She loved the customers, and enjoyed talking to them while she dutifully did her job.  Seventh grade was busy enough for her.  She knew that things would get busier the older she got.

One day, her mother came and bought some of her cider.  Charlotte then looked at her mother with a concerned look on her face.  “Mom,” she said with a sigh.  “Do you think that I can open my own bakery?”

The mother gave Charlotte a pat on the head and smiled.  “Certainly, honey.  You are certainly on the right track.  If that is your dream, go for it.”

Charlotte poured her mother a glass of her cider.  “But what if I fail?”

The mother smiled, and took a sip of the apple cider.  “If you fall down, get right back up.” she told her.  “Don’t ever give up on your dreams.  Keep pursuing them until you succeed.  And I’ll have a donut too, dear.”

Charlotte smiled.  “Thanks mom.  Now what donut do you want?  There are three different kinds to choose from.”

The mother pointed to one that was covered in powdered sugar.  “That one will do.”

Charlotte gave her the powdered donut on a plate and rang her mother up for the donut and the cider.  The mother gave her the money, plus a $5 tip.

“You earned it.” her mother told her.

Charlotte nodded, and put the five in her little cash box.  “Thanks for your business.”

The mother walked back into the house .  Charlotte thought about what her mother told her.  Do I really have what it takes to succeed?

After thinking about what her mother said more and more, she nodded.  “It surely will happen,” she said.  “I know it.”

With that, Charlotte continued to work the Saturday afternoon away, selling her delicious apple cider.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker