Shoeshine Girl- Chapter 4
Reading
Chapter 4 of The Shoeshine Girl
Chapter four. On the avenue. She came to grant avenue, she was out of breath and there was a pounding in her ears. She stopped in the doorway of a drug store and looked up and down the street. People were walking by, cars were passing, palm Bill was bigger than she'd ever thought. In all those stores, there must be someone who would give her some work to do. There was a dress drop across the street, with girls dresses in the window. She might try there, but she wasn't even wearing a dress, and she didn't look very neat. She used the drug store window as a mirror and tried to comb her hair with her fingers. Inside the store, a woman was watching her. She looked friendly. Sarah Ida went in.
Can I help you ask the woman? Sarah Ida began. She couldn't go on. How could she say I want to work for you? What kind of work could she do at a drug store? Yes, said the woman. I'm just looking, said Sarah Ida, she lives at the candy, but couldn't say. I'll have this and this because she didn't have any money. She went outside and she walked past a restaurant in a bank and a hardware store. She came to a pet shop and there were puppies in one window and kittens in the other. She put out her hand to the puppies. One of them came to the window and put his nose against the glass. She went into a shop, a man and woman were there. All about the shop where animals and cages. There were birds in one cage was a green and yellow parrot. Do you need help here? It asked Sarah Ida. The parrot began to squawk. Pretty Polly. My oh my. What? Ask the woman? I said, do you need help? Shout at Sarah Ida.
Be quiet said the woman, not you, little girl. I mean that silly bird. Silly bird said the parrot. My oh my. The woman threw a cloth over the cage and the parent went quiet. Now, what was it you wanted she asked? I want to work for you, said Sarah Ida. Oh, said the woman. The man spoke. What do you know about animals? Not much, but I could learn. The man said, come back and when you're come back when you're a little older. How much older about 6 years said the man? Do you know where I could get work she asked? What can you do? I don't know. You might try Al said the man. He's got a sign up. Oh yes, that the woman. He's had one up for a long time. He's on the corner. The man pointed. Why don't you have a look? Sarah Ida left the shop. She was sure that the man and woman had just been trying to get rid of her. She thought they were probably laughing at her too. She went on down the street, and they are on the corner, she saw a sign. It wasn't very big, and it was stuck to a folding door. It said, help wanted. The folding door was at one end of the shoe shine stand. And the sand was kind of like a shed with a platform in it. There were four chairs on the platform, about the chairs was a big sign.
Al's shoeshine corner. Amanda in one of the chairs. His face was hidden behind the newspaper and he was reading. Sarah Ida looked at the help wanted sign. She looked at the stand. This was the place she thought. This was just the place. She was telling a Claudia I have a job. What kind ant Claudia would ask? Working at the shoe shine stand, Sarah Ida would say. A shoe shine stand on grand avenue. Oh, you can't do that ant Claudio would say. You said you wouldn't keep me from earning some money, Sarah Ida would say, but you can't be seen working at a shoe shine stand on grand avenue and Claudia would say. I'll give you some money. Sarah Ida spoke to the man. Are you out? He put his face down in the newspaper. And then she saw his face. He was not young. His hair was thin and gray, his eyes looked like little pieces of coal set far back in his head. Yes, I'm Al. He slid down off the chair in his shoulders were stooped. He wasn't much taller than she was. You want something? I'm Sarah Ida Becker, she said. And I want to work for you. What do you mean work for me? Well, your sign says help wanted. I put that up so long ago I forgot about it, he said.
Nobody wants to work for me. People don't like to get their hands dirty. They want to do something easy that pays big money. Well, will you give me the job she asked? You're not a boy. The sign doesn't say you wanted a boy. A man came by, shy, asked Elle, the man climbed into the chair and I'll shine his shoes, and the man went on. Al looked at Sarah Ida. You still hear? If I worked for you, what do I have to do, she asked? Shine shoes, same as I do. Some days I get more work than I can take care of. Then I need help. But whoever heard of a shoeshine girl. Why can't a girl shine shoes? Why don't you go on home? You said you needed help. You got your sign up. What do you want to work here for? I need some money. You won't get rich here. Well, I know that. He looked her up and down.
I don't think you really want to work. All at once she was tired of waiting, tired of talking, and she started away. Al said, what did you say your name was? Sarah, what? Sarah Ida becher. You any relation to the lady who used to be at the library, any relation to miss Claudia Becker? She's my aunt. Another man stopped for a shoe shine. And when he was gone, Al said to her, you stay in with your aunt? Yes, she said. Go on and tell her you saw owl winker. Tell her you want to work for me, maybe. Maybe what? I don't know yet, he said, first, you go see and see what she says.