As I walked into the building I felt my heart pulsating in my chest. My body temperature rose until my face was flushed and my hands were cold. My whole body shook as in an earthquake. I could feel my heartbeat travel all the way down to my feet. I told myself to pull it together. In five hours this would all be over.

As I walked I seemed to draw the attention of strange people. They sized me up and down and led me down a long hallway, up some old wooden stairs and into a room. They told me to wait there until someone came to get me. I looked around. There were barren walls and tables covered with papers. Chairs were stacked against the wall and I noticed another doorway. Afraid of what I might find, I quietly sat down. I waited 20 minutes until a frazzled women came running up the stairs. She smiled and said she was very excited to see me. I smiled back and felt a sigh of relief. All the pressures and tension that had built up in my body seemed to float away. She was extremely nice and told me I would fit right in.

She told me to go downstairs and start right away. With the confidence she gave me, I felt I could conquer the world. I knew I had the skills and the personality to do a good job. As I rounded the comer to see where I would be, I stared in awe. Shiny glass objects and all the candies in the world were placed neatly on the counter. Naive, I didn't realize people were laughing at my excitement. They knew exactly what I was getting into.

Just then I heard a high screaming voice. I looked around and saw a little red-haired boy crying and pointing at me. The whole store turned and stared at me. I was scared and confused, and wondered why such a small boy was even screaming at me. I never did anything to him; I didn't even know him. I tried to figure out what the boy was saying by reading his lips. They quivered as they spoke in a shaky voice. Finally I figured out what he was saying ... "Lollipop."

That was the first of many adventures as I sold candy at the Marlborough Country Barn. I was excited because it was my very first job, but that excitement was quickly replaced with the screams and cries of little children begging their parents to buy them candy, or the mad rush of cleats running over to my small counter to decide what candy they wanted as a reward for winning that afternoon's soccer game. No matter what I faced with little children, I still went to work and put up with them. Now I quietly snicker every time I see a new candy girl at the Barn. -