To the man that taught me what love feels like. To the man that would give the shirt off his back to those that need it. To the man that served the communities he belonged to for his entire life. To the man who helped build a beautiful family with many generations still growing. There will never be anyone like you on this earth. I hope this short story in honor of you will be a small token of the love I have for you. Thank you for being the best grandpa!
This story is inspired by the grocery store my grandfather owned for all of my childhood and one of my favorite stories my grandfather would tell us.
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For about 20 miles Derek drove past nothing but cows, trees, and the most beautiful grass you will find in the entire country. He traveled to visit his aunt and uncle who lived in a small town in Kentucky. When he received directions, he learned the saying “if you blink you will miss it.” The churches he passed were as plentiful as the farms. It appeared to Derek that southern people really like beef and Jesus.
Derek still had a good 45 minute drive before he reached his aunt and uncle’s home when he drove up on what appeared to be a diamond in the rough. A small white sign with black letters read “Tucker’s Grocery” on the front of a two story building. Derek usually tried to make trips to see his family without stopping but the urge to use the restroom and grab a snack made this place seem irresistible.
He pulled into a large gravel parking lot and parked next to, what had to be, every Dodge truck that existed. Derek mentally added another item to the list of things Southern people like. Dark gray horizontal wood lined the building, similar to that of a log cabin. A cork board, larger than the one window on the front of the first floor, held random signs and business cards. A charity auction flyer, a local tire shop business card, and a few carvings that said things like “James and Samantha 4-ever” and “Jody wuz here,” were the stars of the board.
It did not take Derek long to realize the grocery store only occupied the first floor of the two story building. Based on the floral curtains on the top floor’s one window, he figured the upstairs must be where the owner lived. Derek walked around in this small country store and awed at how many things could be shoved into one space. The list included a deli selection, an aisle of basic grocery needs, a fridge and frozen food section, a room in the back that held three spinning shelves of movies, dog and cat food, shelves of sodas, buckets of nails and screws, and this store also happened to be the local post office drop off. Derek used the entirely too small bathroom, grabbed a Ski from the fridge, a package of powdered donuts, and a turkey sandwich before deciding to sit for a few minutes at the small seating area.
The older man sitting in the only chair not physically attached to the tables gave off the energy of a store owner. Derek quickly learned his name to be Keith and became internally disappointed that no one here was named Tucker. Derek also made the observation that no women were in the store. Every seat at the 12 seater table held a body, except for one, which Derek sat in. Keith started a new story as Derek removed the Saran Wrap that clung perfectly around his turkey sandwich. The story was about growing up in the West.
“Growin’ up out west was so nice. Ya never had to worry about not having a job,” Keith started with a calm demeanor. The other 11 men seemed to grunt and nod along like Keith was a god and only his words mattered in this store. Keith continued with a shocking statement of: “We always had a job digging the Grand Canyon.”
No one said anything and, like robots, continued to nod along. Derek cleared his throat, and whether he was a god or not, decided to correct Keith. “Wasn’t the Grand Canyon a natural phenomenon?”
All 11 heads turned to Derek as Keith said smoothly, “That is what we want people from the East to think so they’ll come spend their money.”
Derek considered this statement for a moment and then, with a smirk, asked, “Well, what’d they do with all the dirt and rocks?”
Keith didn’t skip a beat and immediately asked, “Have you ever heard of the Rocky Mountains?”
Derek turned to his sandwich which, at this point, he had only taken one bite of and began to focus fully on the task of eating so he could get back on the road as quickly as possible. The other 11 men did not seem bothered by this conversation at all. They all began to share random stories, eat their food, and there were even a few card games that had started.
At this store, you paid for whatever you ate after you ate it. Keith ran this store alone and was the one behind the cash register when Derek headed out to leave. Derek had never seen a man with such mischievous eyes. Although mischievous, he radiated kindness and even stated Derek could take a drink to go on him if he wanted. Unsure why, Derek felt he would listen to anything this man said, so he took an extra Ski, considering you can only get them in a few places in the country anyways.
Now back in his car, Derek moved to put his seat belt on as he thought about Keith’s strange story. Derek felt 99.9% positive that Keith had made the story up as a joke but the story was told with such confidence it made Derek doubt himself. Derek got back on the road to his aunt and uncle’s home and had a feeling he would always remember Tucker’s Grocery and its interesting owner.
Ariel Pierce 