Day 256 CJSM-book III

Day 256

 

 

Jake’s Malt Shop in Columbia

 

 

The 70’s Happy Days”-Ron Howard T.V. show had “Arnold’s; we had Jake’s!

All the kids hung-out at Jake’s. A quart chocolate malt so thick it could not be sucked through a straw made with real milk, malt, ice cream and an egg cost 15¢ and a hamburger on a bun, 20!

Wow! Long stick pretzels were 2¢. Two of those “giants” slowly dipped into the huge malt and carefully chewed lasted better than a half hour.

Jakie closed his establishment at 9:00 p.m.; long about 8:30 each night several adults would visit the store for a half-gallon of ice cream offered in several delicious flavors. These “treats” were frozen in storage. As orders were placed, Jake would lay two sheet of newspaper on the counter top, lay the cylindrical ½ gallon frozen ice cream containers on a triangular edge and roll the purchase across the news print to the opposite corner and then tightly “fold” the ends to secure and insulate the delicacy; ole Dad brought home quite the “treat” to his kids those nights.

Old grey-headed Jakie was a soft-spoken man; his wife, sporting a matching stylish- coiffeur, worked side-by-side with him in the ice cream parlor; each was pleasant and could not have been better cast to their “character” if it had been choreographed by some elite Hollywood-type.

“What’s yours? Girlie?” Prompted “Uncle”-Jakie when a young lady approached the counter.

The venue for “Jake’s Malt Shop” had been a grocery store prior to his acquisition. The store front sported two huge plate glass windows on either side of the entry door. On the outside these were set-back into an alcove with the bottom ledge a foot wide and 30-inches off the sidewalk; these “meeting”-places were perfect for sitting in groups to hatch and plan adventure.

I sure enough spent my fair share of time “loafing” with the boys-of-daring-do at Jakies!

My childhood friend, Bobby, spent about as much time there as did I, along with others.

They took “innocent” sports-minded Bobby, dressed him in a uniform, slapped a rifle in his “young” hands and sent him to his grave half way around the world. Sure enough spoiled my plans to meet him there, at Jake’s again, some future day. Reckon, sure enough, he’d agree with that assessment---and, add…ruined Mine, too!

And---my opinion on that sore subject…it sure enough wasn’t worth it! R.I.P.---Bobby!

 

Ah! Cookie Jar “bitter”-Sweet “malts & old friends” Memories!