Jan After the War

Jan returned to and finished school. Before the war, Jan would have surely found a job after school. But now there were very few jobs to be had, so Pa put Jan to work with a bicycle and a suitcase. Using the few stores he had left and getting in touch with his old contacts, Pa had managed to get his hands on some goods to sell. He had recently landed a large supply of sheets, a very lucky thing, since they were in short supply. Jan hated the work, but felt obligated to at least try. He road his bike up to the first house, with his heart pounding in his throat. He knocked and was just ready to run back down the walk to his bicycle when the farmers' wife answered. He had his suitcase of wares open and even before he had a chance to tell her what he had for sale she was exclaiming over the sheets. How long it had been since they had new ones! Of course she would buy some immediately. Door after door was like the first. The sheets were selling like hotcakes. Jan didn't even have to pitch his wares at the farmers, but still he felt the same apprehension with each approaching door. After he sold about $50 worth, he returned home.

“So are you all out of goods?” Pa asked.

“No, I sold about $50. I thought that was enough, so I came home.”

“Enough! If your selling is going well Jan, then you keep at it!”

He pretended to be mad, but both of them knew he wasn't. It was fifty dollars more than he had at the beginning of the day, and Pa knew how much Jan hated selling the wares to the farmers.

In the next installment, find out what happened to Rennie.