She slowly made her way down to bottom the stairs, moving a little from side to side, she gently and tediously pushed open the glass doors and trod out onto the gray sidewalk.

"Now, where is that toy store... every town's got to have a toy store," she said to herself.

She stopped a nice young man in a blue pinstriped suit to ask for directions. He told her it was two blocks down, and across the street.

"...a small yellow building, with big square windows out front. Called 'McCleary's Toys'. You can't miss it!"

She thanked him and started down that way. She continued down the street, crossed it, and looked down the way she came to the clock tower at the end of the row. She couldn't make it out for sure, but it looked like it was 11:25am. She had time. She walked at a brisk pace to the entry of the toy store. Phoenix turned the cold brass door handle slowly and, as she pushed it open, the little bell rang which signaled the old clerk that someone was coming into the store. She looked around the shop a little bit, and finally found the toy that would bring a bright smile to her grandson's face. She brought it to the checkout stand and rang the bell on the counter for the clerk. He came out of the back room, and said, "'sthat it, or do I have ta' go through 'ya purse? Don' know how many a 'ya go through this 'sto, just to 'fine that I've-a-got three fire 'ingins missin' an a bike tire un-accounted for. I say, is that all you got?"

"Sir! I 'is appalled that you would even think such a thing! I is a fine, upstandin' citizen, and I don' deserve to be treated this way!" she retaliated. She threw the toy on the counter and turned to stomp out.

"Well, now, now, ma'am...I'm sorry, but ye know I got to have some kine' a security 'roun here, else I'd be out of business sooner 'an soon! Please, I didn't mean no harm to ya," he replied.

"Well, alright," she said, and paid the fifteen cents for the toy and walked out.

Back out on the gray sidewalk, she considered her route home. It was now 11:45am, and she should be getting back to the house if she wanted to make dinner in time.