"Hello James, nice to meet you," The old lady crooned. I thought she said: "Hlwoe Chames Nigch ta meetch ya."
"James, this is Helen."
"Hi," I said shyly.
"Got to go, have to show James the goods."
Out of Helen's earshot, I asked Shannie what was wrong with the old lady's voice.
Shannie thought for a second. "She's Pennsylvania Dutch."
Shannie was right, Wally's was a wonderland. It had everything. Over the years, I spent hours haunting the aisles, doing my share to wear out those old oiled hard wood floors. It even had a lunch counter where the town's old cronies parked themselves. The day Wally's burnt down Beyford mourned. Wally built a new store, but it wasn't the same. The cronies found other lunch counters, and left his glistening new one empty. Wally sold the business and moved to Florida.
"Ah, here we are, the important aisle," Shannie said.
My eyes lit up. I never saw such a candy selection. "Jesus," I mumbled.
"What's your poison?" she asked. "Me, I love Pixie sticks! I'm the Pixie stick monster! Me want Pixie!" Shannie growled. After filling two paper bags with enough candy to make our dentists cringe and their accountants smile Shannie continued the tour.
At the bottom of Main Street, the hill that is Beyford leveled out at the railroad tracks into flat ground that ran to the Schuylkill River. As we approached the tracks the crossing lights came alive and the gates began to lower. "Let's go Just James," Shannie ran.
"What are you doing?"
"Come on, follow me. Run." Shannie ducked under the dropping gate. The train's horn cried. "Come on Just James," She stood in the center of the crossing.
I froze. "Run James!" she shouted. I ducked under the gate and ran onto the tracks. The train's horn screamed. I looked to the right and saw the huge blue engine bearing upon us, its headlights glaring in the sunlight. I ran past Shannie.
"SHANNIE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I yelled from the far side. She stood on the tracks, staring down the train.
She smiled at me before refocusing her attention. "SHANNIE, GET OFF THE TRACKS!"
Shannie screamed as I moved for her. "STAY THERE!" The train's horn bellowed. I jumped up and down in terror. I wanted to pull her off the tracks but I knew it was too late. "SHANNIE!" I screamed.
"FIVE, FOUR, THREE," she counted before stepping off the track and standing next to me.