The Corner Drugstore by Roseanne Dowell

Back in the late 50s, we visited the corner drug store, after school and at least once a day in the summer.  

Our footsteps clattered on the wood floors as a group of us walked into Hagodornes. We sat on the high stools at the soda fountain, giggling and being silly as teenage girls are prone to do. Every day was pretty much the same thing, we ordered phosphates, malts, shakes or sodas while a highschool boy patiently waited on us.

A display with greeting cards, highlighting the nearest holiday, stood in them middle of the store.  A pharmacy, where Mr. Hagadorn filled prescriptions for the neighborhood, was in the far corner.  Everyone knew Mr. Hagadorn, and he talked to us kids from behind his counter when he wasn't busy. 

Back then you couldn’t find bread, milk, soft drinks or anything other than first aid, drug store related items. It was, after all. a drug store. The soda fountain was meant to serve customers waiting on their prescriptions, but we pretty much took it over. But if an adult happened to be waiting for a prescription, one of us always gave up our seat.

With only six seats by the fountain, and sometimes eight or ten of us in the store, some of us had to stand. Not that we cared.  We stood around talking and drinking our drinks or eating our sundaes. Oh those sundaes, they make my mouth water even now, piled high with whipped cream and a cherry on top. Not to mention those milkshakes. Thick, rich, chocolate shake. Made with real ice cream and lots of it. So thick you almost

had to eat it with a spoon and so cold they always caused me a brain freeze.

And those banana splits - vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream between a split banana, topped with nuts, pineapple, and strawberrys with a huge dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top. To die for. We didn't order those often, especially after school. For one thing they cost more and took longer to eat, plus they filled you up and who wanted dinner after that.

 Sometimes we just ordered cokes. Mr. Hagadorn didn’t care how long we stayed, although most of us had to get home so we didn’t linger long. Except in the summer and on Saturdays, then we sometimes stayed an hour or two, drinking a coke and laughing and talking. The drug store was closed on Sundays, as were more stores back then. Nothing stayed open 24 hours like today.

We were only freshmen then and none of us had cars so there wasn’t much else to do.  In the summer, we walked from our houses to our friends, met with a group and on to Hagadorns. And of course there was the boyfriend, girlfriend thing.  Going steady was the big deal back then and most everyone did it.  It never lasted long a couple weeks or so and then on to the next boyfriend/girlfriend. I still remember my first love. I’m sure all of us do. I was in 7^th grade and crazy about a boy named Chris. I’ll never forget the first time he asked me to dance at canteen.  I thought I died and went to heaven. He walked me home afterwards, mostly because he walked past my street to get to his. He even held my hand.

Wednesday nights was canteen. What fun that was. All the kids went, didn’t matter if you were the class geek or not, everyone went to canteen and danced the evening away, but that’s a blog for a different time.

Looking back, I can’t help but smile at the memories. Memories of carefree times. Of course back then we didn’t think our lives were so carefree. After all we had homework and grades to keep up. Life should be so difficult now. LOL 

When Meghan Shelby inherits the family home, she returns to her hometown after a ten year

absence. Not only does she find the house is in a rundown, dilapidated condition, there’s a dead body in it. She also discovers a heart-shaped locket with a picture of a man and a journal that reveals secrets and deceit from years ago and learns why her parents never returned.

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