That SWEET Bar

Christmas was coming up quickly and I hadn't yet gotten a gift into the mail for my little sister up north near Boston. Too late even to send a card by snail mail.

Then came the thin catalog in MY snail mail, one I had never seen before.

"HERSHEY'S" proclaimed big letters on the cover. Maybe this is it, thought I as I glanced through the pages quickly. And there it was - a five pound bar of SWEET stuff for Christmas for my little sister.

I dialed the number that, like on TV commercials , shouted CALL NOW! Lots of other folks read those two little words also and I had to hold and hold but eventually I heard "it's a SWEET day, may I help you."

I ordered a five pound bar of Hershey's chocolate to be sent to my little sister.

Hershey bars (I still love them but don't eat much chocolate anymore)used to cost a nickel.

For a nickel I used to get a chocolate bar about six inches long, two inches wide and about a quarter inch thick. In the supermarket nowadays there is a bar that roughly is about that size but it ain't a nickel anymore, more like 79 cents to a buck.

That nickel bar after a while shrank a bit and got pricer, or maybe it was the other way around, got pricer and then shrank. The bar got to be a dime and then shrank. The process of shrinking quantity and increasing price continued, and I think it still is thataway..

Anyway, the pleasant-voiced Hershey girl on the phone took my credit card number and little sister's address and promised the five pound Hershey bar would be delivered to her the day before Christmas, just a couple days away.

FEDEX or UPS showed up at little sister's home, and left the box containing the big chocolate bar at the front door after the driver got no answer at his knock. Merry Christmas Little Sister.

Days went by and there was no phone call or e-mail from her as I expected. I was a bit disappointed that with such a big bar of chocolate I didn't get a thankyou.

So I let another couple days go by before ringing up and asking "Did you like your Chrismas chocolate?" Little Sister answered "What chocolate?"

ME: "Have you been to the front door lately? There could be a box out there." (In the Winter she often hibernates and might not have checked even for mail)

LITTLE SISTER: "I"ll check right now" and moments later "nothing there."

ME to Hershey's: "Did you deliver my five pound chocolate bar to my little sister""

THE HERSHEY GIRL: "I checked the tracking and, yes, it was delivered at that address the day before Christmas just before noontime. The driver could not get an answer when he knocked.""

ME: "She didn't find it and it sounds like I'm out lots of dollars because maybe somebody stole the box."

HERSHEY GIRL: "That might have happened. I will send another one right away." I asked what the new price would be. She SWEETLY said "I told you I will send another Hershey bar. It won't cost you anything, no shipping charge either."

In another phone call I informed my little sister another box would arrive in two days and she should be sure to watch for the FEDEX truck and meet the driver.

I phoned Little Sister again in two days and she said she did get the box.

And then came the e-mail from her.

LITTLE SISTER: "Thanks for that big Hershey bar but you know I am not eating much chocolate anymore.

WHOOPS!

"I had a little bit and then I gave some to the mailman, the paper boy, Maria next door, the boy that shovels my walk when it snows, some to Gail and some to all the kids in the neighborhood.

SWEET!

That Christmas gift apparently went to a lot of people I don't even know.
Guess it was a nickel well spent - or maybe a few nickels.

Yes, a lot of people had a SWEET Christmas, even it if was a few days late.

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