Saturday was at its calmest. It was past twelve o'clock and I had eaten my lunch. Afterwards, I washed the dishes and groomed myself in front of the bathroom mirror. I then skipped merrily to my aunt, whom was calculating her expenses.

  "Auntie, may I go outside?" I asked.
  "You can play in the front yard. If you want more privacy, you can play in the backyard," she replied.
  "Not that kind, auntie. I was thinking of going to the park," I told her.
  "Aren't you too young to go to the park all alone?" she reminded me.
  "I'm already ten-years-old, so I can go there by myself already. The park is just a five-minute walk from here, auntie. It's not too far. And if ever I want to buy something from the candy store, I saved enough lunch money for me to buy three candies. I'll be back here by half past one o'clock, no later. I promise," I convinced her. She rubbed her chin and pondered.
  "Then I guess you can go," she decided.
  "Yay! Thank you, auntie!" I thanked her.
  "You're welcome. Make sure to be here by half past one o'clock, and don't stray too far!" she reminded me.
  "I won't, auntie," I assured her.

  I skipped merrily out of the house and listened to the crisp clinking that my shoes made when they kissed the floor. The cool wind blew and I felt its refreshing breeze. I arrived at the park after four minutes of skipping from my house. The park was absolutely stunning, though it wasn't the best in my town. The trees swayed and waved hello to the people. The birds chirped and tweeted soothing melodies of nature. Children played and ran around in the playground as their parents or babysitters watched them happily. Other people jogged, young and old wearing sneakers and their earphones plugged in, galloping down the stone paths. I explored the park and found myself in front of a candy store.

Carl's Candy Store

  I opened the door and went inside the shop. The store had almost every kind of candy anyone could imagine: jelly beans, gummy bears, gumballs, lollipops, mints, and more! I browsed through the array of candies and chocolates when I spotted a particular kind of candy. A rainbow of flavors fitted into one sweet delicacy, that little treat was my favorite type of candy. I could almost taste its unique combination of sweet, sour and umami. The store called it a chocolate-coated fruit bar. Hmm, when was the last time I had that? I stared at the candy, trying to recollect any memory of it. Barely anything but déjà vu. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I was still in the same place, but in a very different time. My mental clock went backwards and I was transported to a distant timeline.

  "I'm sorry, Grace, but I can't afford that. It's too expensive," Gale told me, his hands on my petite shoulders. I constantly pointed at the fruit bar and made a slight whining voice.
  "But if I buy that for you, I won't be able to buy one for myself! Then I won't be so happy. Don't you want to make me happy, Grace?" he asked me. A thin layer of tears painted the surface of my eyes and the light bounced off it to make it look like it was gleaming.
  "Please?" I asked. Gale couldn't resist my innocent look and giggled.
  "Fine, Grace. You got me," he said. He held my little hand as he accompanied me to the check-out counter. The cashier was a cheerful dark-haired man of his late 30's, with old spectacles covering his greyish brown eyes. From the tag on his striped uniform, I could tell that his name was Carl Selby.
  "Ah, if it isn't Gale Summers! What can I do for my regular customer?" he asked.
  "I want to buy a chocolate-coated fruit bar. My sister wants it," Gale replied. The cashier got a small package and inserted a piece of the delectable candy. Whilst doing so, he asked Gale,
  "How old is your sister?"
  "Two. She'll turn three in five months," Gale answered him. The cashier tapped on the cash register.
  "That would be three dollars and fifty cents," he told us. Gale brought out a couple of two-dollar bills and the cashier exchanged it with two quarters. Gale then led me out of the shop, holding my little hand in his right hand, and the candy in the other hand.

  I trotted to the counter and held a five-dollar banknote in my left hand. The cashier was the same man from my flashback: Carl Selby. He looked pretty much the same, except for the fact that his hair was turning gray.

  "Hello! How may I help you?" he asked.
  "Hello! I just want to buy one chocolate-coated fruit bar," I replied. He used a pair of tongs to collect a chocolate-coated fruit bar and placed it in a compact package.
  "That would be four dollars," he told me. I gave him the five-dollar bill and he gave me a one-dollar banknote in return, along with a printed receipt and the candy bar.
  "Didn't it used to cost fifty cents less?" I inquired.
  "It used to be. Nowadays, the ingredients to make that became more expensive, so I have to increase the price so I still get a profit. Why, you remember how much it costed?"
  "The last time I came here was about seven years ago. I'm Grace Summers," I told him.
  "You mean, Gale's sister? Why, you're much bigger now!" he remarked.
  "Sure am," I said, "so Gale used to be your regular customer?"
  "He used to be. Haven't seen him for seven years. He used to bring you here every Saturday... next thing I knew, he didn't show up at all! Maybe he had more homework to do over the weekends. But say, how's he doing?" he asked me.
  "Well, I haven't seen him at all. I don't know where he is," I answered him.
  "That's a pity," he commented. He then gave me a small package, which contained a chocolate marble.
  "Oh, sir, I didn't buy this," I said.
  "I know, but it's Gale's favorite. At least, maybe it was. I'll give you this for free. When you see Gale again, you can give that to him and tell him that it's from me," he said.
  "Thank you!" I thanked him.
  "You're welcome," he replied.

  I walked out of the shop and ambled through the park. When I reached my house, I pressed the doorbell once and waited. There was no answer. I pressed it a second time. My aunt opened the door and glanced at her wristwatch before she glanced back at me.

  "You're a minute early, which is good. Now go upstairs and prepare for school on Monday," she ordered.
  "Yes, auntie," I replied.

  I hurried to the attic and prepared my school backpack. I inserted my homework, pencil case, school ID card and my wallet. After that, I kept it on top of my left bedside table and reached for the fruit bar in the small package. I took my first bite and the chocolate melted on my fingertips. I took another bite. I looked at my fingers, which were smudged with sweet brown, and realized that I had already finished my treat. There was still the chocolate marble. I could've eaten it myself, but instead I trotted downstairs and kept it in the refrigerator. I then washed my hands and continued the day as per usual. When I had eaten dinner and done my chores, I proceeded to my bedroom and searched for the picture of me and Gale. I opened the wooden chest of drawers and rummaged for the framed photograph. My right hand dived into the pool of sentimental treasure and swam deep. I then gasped.

  The picture was gone.

  "I couldn't have lost it," I thought, "I always keep my things properly."

  I hunted for the picture. One by one, I placed my family heirlooms next to me to clear my view. Next thing I knew, I had emptied the entire cabinet. I placed the objects back in my chest of drawers before I continued looking for the picture. I ransacked the room, but the photograph disappeared without a trace. It just didn't seem right for a thing to magically disappear, especially when only you know where it was kept. Unless...

  I was about to run downstairs to ask my aunt when she confronted me just before I left my bedroom. She held the parcel which contained the chocolate marble and shook her head disapprovingly.

  "What did I tell you about eating chocolate marbles?" she confronted me. I kept silent.
  "Answer me!" she demanded.
  "I can't eat one," I mumbled.
  "Do you still remember why?"
  "Th-they're so smooth and big that you might ch-choke on one," I stammered. She held the parcel on top of my open dustbin.
  "This will have to go in the trash," she said.
  "No, please! Don't throw it away!" I pleaded.
  "Why not?" she asked.
  "Because you told me not to waste food, and that those who did shall be punished. That chocolate marble is food, so if you throw it away you shall be punished. It's not good to waste any food," I reminded her.
  "I suppose you're right," she said, "but why would you buy a chocolate marble in the first place?"
  "It was given to me as a bonus. When I came to the candy store to buy a fruit bar, the shopkeeper gave it to me for free. I knew I wasn't supposed to eat one, but I didn't want to refuse a kind offer. I was thinking of giving it to someone else," I justified my action.
  "If you're not going to eat it," my aunt said, "then I will."

  She dropped the chocolate marble into her mouth and made loud chewing sounds. A mound formed down her throat as she swallowed it. She then threw the empty parcel into the bin and slammed the door when she left the room.

  If Gale had returned and asked for a treat, I'd say that my aunt had digested it already.