第5部分 (第4/8页)

and　then　re…stacking　them　neatly。　It　was　excruciatingly　boring　work。

Mike's　dad；　whom　I　call　my　rich　dad；　owned　nine　of　these　little　superettes　with　large　parking　lots。　They　were　the　early　version　of　the　7…11　convenience　stores。　Little　neighborhood　grocery　stores　where　people　bought　items　such　as　milk；　bread；　butter　and　cigarettes。　The　problem　was；　this　was　Hawaii　before　air　conditioning；　and　the　stores　could　not　close　its　doors　because　of　the　heat。　On　two　sides　of　the　store；　the　doors　had　to　be　wide　open　to　the　road　and　parking　lot。　Every　time　a　car　drove　by　or　pulled　into　the　parking　lot；　dust　would　swirl　and　settle　in　the　store。

Hence；　we　had　a　job　for　as　long　as　there　was　no　air　conditioning。

For　three　weeks；　Mike　and　I　reported　to　Mrs。　Martin　and　worked　our　three　hours。　By　noon；　our　work　was　over；　and　she　dropped　three　little　dimes　in　each　of　our　hands。　Now；　even　at　the　age　of　9　in　the　mid…1950s；　30　cents　was　not　too　exciting。　ic　books　cost　10　cents　back　then；　so　I　usually　spent　my　money　on　ic　books　and　went　home。

By　Wednesday　of　the　fourth　week；　I　was　ready　to　quit。　I　had　agreed　to　work　only　because　I　wanted　to　learn　to　make　money　from　Mike's　dad；　and　now　I　was　a　slave　for　10　cents　an　hour。　On　top　of　that；　I　had　not　seen　Mike's　dad　since　that　first　Saturday。

〃I'm　quitting；〃　I　told　Mike　at　lunchtime。　The　school　lunch　was　miserable。　School　was　boring；　and　now　I　did　not　even　have　my　Saturdays　to　look　forward　to。　But　it　was　the　30　cents　th