Mister Sweets

Mister Sweets

Saturday morning. Every Saturday morning in town was noisy. A parade of color brought by the traveling market, which every Saturday was set up on the stone paved square. Because it was placed so close to the townsfolk homes, this little event was successful from its first edition. Families would gather to shop for groceries while grandmas and grandpas would treat their nieces or nephews to fresh squeezed orange juice, ice-cream, or dried plums.

One store in particular attracted droves of children. It was by far the most popular candy booth around because of its “children’s morning” offer. From 8 to 10o’clock every boy or girl who asked politely would get a free treat. The salesman and confectioner was tall, dark haired, with heavy wrinkles on his forehead, brown eyes and bony cheeks. Every time he gave something to a wanting child he would show the biggest smile. Because of this habit of his, everyone knew him as Mister Sweets.
Now, as lively as he was Mister Sweets never talked about him. Sometimes he had a habit of falling into deep thought only to be yanked into reality by a customer. When asked what he was thinking about he would always deflect the question with his trademark smile.

One Saturday, the market had to be postponed until noon because of rain. But the confectioner still came and set up shop at the regular hour. He took the necessary precautions to ward off raindrops and hanged up his “children’s morning” sign. No one came, but still he waited patiently. The bleak surroundings started to get to him and to escape his boredom he looked around for something to break him out of it. His eyes got fixed one a little girl who sat on a doorstep watching droplets hit the ground. She was outside barefoot still in her white pajamas with the edges now soaked. He glanced away, but not for long. With a long drawn out sigh he filled a bag with jellybeans and ran through the rain towards her. When he arrived at the doorstep he was soaked to the bone. He reached out and offered her the bag but she didn’t even raise her eyes to him. He tried to say something but swallowed his words and walked back to his stall.

From that Saturday onwards, he would always see the girl sitting quietly on her doorstep never talking or playing with other children. He tried several times to engage her in conversation, but this always had the same outcome.
After weeks of trying, he finally gave up and tried to ignore her. But she was always in his field of view. He watched her for hours as she played with toys, or colored with her pencils, but never venturing further than her doorstep. He was itching to find out more. This desire slowly turned into determination until it was all he could think about.

One fateful day, Mister Sweets was busy at his stall when with the corner of his eye he saw the little girl slowly get up and go inside her house. At the balcony window he also glimpsed the shade of a woman. Seizing his opportunity he finished his sale fast and ran for the door. If his assumption was true, that the shade he saw was a parent, he could finally learn more about this child. Although he knew how bad his actions would be seen, his curiosity was far greater.

He pulled his thoughts together and knocked on the door. And in a few short moments the little girl opened it and looked straight at him. She was in her white pajamas with the edges burned along with her bare hands and feet. Her hair was singed and half of her cheek and neck were charred. From the stairs behind her the womanly shade came down. A nightgown filled with smoke, a face covered in ash. Her thin form and blackened arms covered the girl and with a choked motherly voice she said to her „time for bed sweetie”. She was picked up and slowly carried up the stairs. As they reached the top, she glanced at the door and it slammed shut.

“Hey why is Mister Sweets just standing in front of that door?” asked one of the children playing close by.
“Don’t you know? My mom told me.” replied one of his friends.
“He used to live here long ago, before he was making candy. She told me that one night Mister Sweets had to work late, and a fire started in his house.”
“Yeah I heard it too” a girl continued. “They said that he was married back then and that his family didn’t escape”.
“Mom also told me he sometimes comes here at night and leaves a bag of jelly beans at the doorstep”.