Bubble Gum Machine

Bubble Gum Machine at Granma's store

Bubble Gum Machine by Richard Guimond ©2015

Back to school, Brother Bryant gave us an assignment on the subject of Bubble gum machine, unusual but interesting topic throwing me back to long time ago back in the 50's ......

Oh ! Must have been 1956-57, was around three or four. My Granma had a small grocery store slash restaurant on a street without asphalt or sidewalks. Wooden sidewalk ramps took us over muddy landscaping. I remember the broken linoleum floor, the wooden yellow post red covered stools. The counter with piles of local news papers from which already I looked at comic strips: Tarzan, Mandrake, Brick Bradford, the Phantom.... The metal lines on which hung carded junk trinkets: miniature pocket knives, flashlights, multi colored rabbit foot lucky charms. Next to the candy glass counter sat the huge metal red and black bubble gum machine on her shiny black tubular base.

Granma had around twenty grand children; she kept a paper roll of black pennies in her apron pocket on Saturdays and Sundays: Family Visit days. We used to go see her to get coins to feed the mechanical contraption. The machine sat under the 5¢ Humpty Dumpty potato chips bags metal clip rack. The distributor never been new; always had scratched enamel paint revealing rusty metal underneath. The red and black paint was mostly polished away by years of rubbing, except on the center of the cover where the lock was. I saw the man replenished the machine once ... he gave me a gum ball! This was a small ''caliber '' gum ball machine. Later a new plastic one for large gum with yellow plastic base sat on the counter next to the large ''Life Savers'' display stand. When Granma closed the store, I inherited the counter sitting one, to make a piggy bank; but nobody came to replenish it when it turned out empty.

Reviews

[R Smith]

lovely memories Richard, i remember those machines too, it was always a treat to get some pennies and raid them, of course in them days we had sweetshops, just with every kinda sweet, now its to the supermarket if you want such things, of course its too late now, don't eat them anymore lol, thanks for taking me back with your wonderful story :)

[Justin Robben]

The memory, the sentiment behind this is touching. There's a real human element to it.

It is in serious need of some editing, however. There are a number of mistakes that ripped me from the scene you were trying to surround me in. I think, once improved, it'll be a nice piece, poignant and timeless.

[lovesrgraham]

The description in your story is amazing. I felt like I was there with you while reading. Very well written! I appreciate walking down "memory lane" with you. I really enjoyed it!