�What the hell are you doing?� Sam yells as Jenny runs down the stairs and out the gate.
Still sobbing Mr. O�Donnal says �I� I just loved her so much.� He rubs the thin air as if there was hair there and he was running his fingers through it.
�So much, so, so much� ha� ha ha� ahhhh ha ha ha ha! I�m just messing with you boys.� He tosses the scarecrow to the ground.
�I was never married and I don�t plan to be. That ain�t my wife, ha ha. Tell Jenny I am sorry I scared her. It was just a joke.�
Sam and I run down to catch up with Jenny.
�Wait up.� Sam calls to her. She stops and waits for us to catch up. Her face is all red and she�s almost crying
�Hey, Jenny, are you okay?� I ask a little out of breath.
�No! What happened to that man�s wife?� She asks nervously almost panicking. She can hardly keep still, she is shaking so much.
�It�s okay. It wasn�t really his wife. He doesn�t even have a wi��
�Well who was it then?�
�It was a scarecrow. Just like the rest in the yard. It wasn�t real. He was just joking with us. It�s all part of Halloween.� I say trying to calm her down.
�I don�t care I was scared.� Jenny put on a sad face and Sam puts his arm around her.
�It�s alright, were going home now.� Sam gives her a squeeze and we start walking home.
I get to the shoe store on Main Street. Standing in front, I read the big signs posted in the windows. �Moving Sale, Everything Must Go!! Up to 75% OFF!�
It seems to be the way of a lot of stores as of late. The mall up town has sucked all the business from the downtown core. There can�t be anymore than half a dozen stores here now. I remember when Main Street was filled with stores. Grocery stores, book stores, convenience stores, clothing, pharmacies, shoe stores, but now, everything is either, near or inside the mall, if not run out of business.
I open the door and walk in. A man in his mid-forties greets me at the entrance and extends his watchless hand for me to shake. I don�t really like shaking hands with people I don�t know, but I am not about to leave him with his hand stuck out in the air. So I make the rare exception.
�Hi, welcome to �Fraser�s Family Footwear�. You saw the signs out front and have come in looking for a deal. Am I right?� I take a step towards him. My shoe squeaks.
�Ah, say no more,� He says to me and my ailing shoes.
�I understand completely. Is there anything you had in mind, any particular type of shoe?�
�No, not really, I am just looking for something that doesn�t squeak. You have no idea how annoying it is to have everyone telling you about the squeaking in you shoe.� He takes a step towards me. I hear a loud squeaking noise.
�Was that you?� I ask him in shock.
�Why would someone have squeaky shoes if they worked in a shoe store?�
�Not just work here, I own the place, I�m Fraser. I inherited the place from my father, who was also named Fraser, when he passed away. As for the shoes, the squeaking doesn�t really bother me. These are the most comfortable shoes I�ve owned in years.�
�I�m surprised your father didn�t change the name to Fraser and Fraser�s.�
�Actually to tell you the truth he was going to once I started working here, as a teenager, but I guess he figured there would have been to many �f�s in the name. �Fraser and Fraser Family Footwear� is a bit out a mouthful. So you have any ideas?�
�For what? Your store?�
�No, no, ha ha ha, the type of shoe you are looking for.�
�Ohh, no sorry. I am just looking for something comfortable to walk in. Any recommendations?�
�For walking? Well, there�s always the walking shoes, but I don�t find that the look very nice. Always plain and white. Lately a lot more people are trying these.� Fraser points and walks over to the section called �Casual�.
�Some people swear by them.�
�Aren�t they just skateboarding shoes?�
�Shh� we don�t use that word in here. It�ll scare away the old folk. Ironically, though, they are our biggest customer for this type of sneaker. Although we don�t get much of the younger crowd any more, with that mall up town, but that�s why we are moving. You go where that money goes.�
�I hear you.�
I pick out a pair that I like, they are beige in colour, a suede material, Vans for the brand. I get them in size eleven and try them on. He was right.