Ice Cream Cart Summer

Ice Cream Cart Summer

   The kid peeled back the paper from the popsicle, I watched as it starts to melt with one-half falling to the hot pavement, I sit on the bicycle cart wondering how much I would make for the day. My friend Jay and I had decided to make some money this summer. at 15 years old, not much to do in the small town where we grew up. We found that the old ice house was looking for a few kids our age that could work the summer. We headed down to check it out, we got the job, now we are selling ice cream on a three-wheel bicycle with a large cooler attached to the front. The summers in middle Illinois were scorching hot with the humidity in the '90s.

   Every morning we walked to the ice house to pick up our cart. There were five of us riding these ice cream carts around our town. I started peddling towards my house, always a lot of kids in that area. Stop by the grade school where the summer fun games were going, in 1959 the schools put on a summer fun program so kids would have something to do. As I rang the bell on the handlebars several of the kids look up and started my way with the teacher. The teacher asks, what I had, I opened the door to the ice cream looking to see what I had, we have popsicles, fudgesicle, ice cream bars, and creamsicles, what kind of popsicle do you have she ask. Strawberry, blueberry, and banana. I will have two each of the popsicles that will take care of the kids, and I will have Fudgesicle, as she turned the kids and said come and get them.

   Checking the school clock, it was time to meet Jay, we had planned to meet every few hours to see how we were doing. Peddling up the street heading to 14^th street and the public park. It was a lot cooler there, and a lot more people. As I got closer I could see Jay with several people around his cart. Looking around there were lots of people in the park, thinking to myself Jackpot. Two young men saw me and yelled “over here” we can’t leave the area. I peddled my cart up on the grass and over to the bench they were sitting on. We are watching our kids play ball and the wives are out shopping. Do you have banana popsicles? yes, I do opening the door of the cooler. Great give us a couple; I heard one of the men say, good thing this is the last inning, these Dog Days are getting to me. I turned around headed back to where Jay was waiting not understanding what Dog Days were.

  It was around noon and the sun was felt like we were going to melt even in the shade. We decided to go home and get a sandwich. Peddling back to my house I said Jay; do you think you did ok? He reached inside the ice cream cart and pulled out a money bag, it was about half full. He held it up in the air and said; I keep it in there so I can say it’s cold cash, and laugh aloud, how about you? I don’t think I did as well as you, reaching for my bag that was under the seat. Pulled it out and shook it, maybe I did better than I thought. Reaching the house, we put the carts in the back yard and went into the kitchen through the back door, my mother was making some chicken salad. How are you boys doing; sit down and I will make some tea to go with a sandwich. I said we think we are doing ok, we have a few more hours to go. As we ate we talked about what we were going to spend our money on. Thanks, mom for lunch guess we had to get back to work; as I finished the sandwich going out the door.

  Bringing the carts around front and back on the street we stopped to check the Ice cream and decide which way to go. Everything looks good here; I think I will go over by the pool and see if I can sell a few around there. Jay said; I think I will go out by the car dealers those guys will buy anything; laughing as he peddled up the street. When I reached the pool area it was getting hotter with not much shade in front. I sat around about an hour selling only a few items. It was getting late and we had to have the carts back by 4pm. We still had to do our inventory to see what we sold, that’s how we got paid. The ice house knew how much they put in the cart, and they count how much we return and tell us what we owe, what’s left is what we make for the day.

   We checked out got our money bags and headed home for the day, the bags were not as heavy as when we brought them in, but it was ours. Getting home we went to my room. We had agreed to split all we made so we dumped both bags out the bed. As we count the money and put it in two piles it was not a bad first day.

    The next morning came early, Jay was banging on my bedroom door, wake up we will be late. Jumping out of bed and heading to the shower, how do you think we will do today? Jay said; I just hope it will be as good or better than yesterday. We grabbed a piece of toast and some orange juice and out the door, we went. Getting to the ice house the ice cream carts were loaded and ready to go.

As we peddled up the street thinking to myself, it’s going to be a great summer after all.