Chewgummullins

For many years as my siblings and I were growing up, my Mom would take our laundry to the laundry mat so she could get it all done at once. She used to take one or two of us kids with her to help fold the clothes once they were dry. It was probably the most boring couple of hours that we, as children, had to endure- waiting for the clothes to wash and dry, but it was something that we had to do. Some of us looked forward to it, some of us didn't. I don't think I ever minded much because I would get to see Chewgummullins. He was the man that kept the laundry mat clean. His name was Clyde Mullins. He used to live next door to us when I was very little.

To me, he was always old, but looking back now, I will always remember him wearing those baggy blue work pants, a plaid shirt and a light weight jacket. His glasses were thick and had black frames with gold wire around the lenses. His hair was thinning and he wore a hat, always, when he was outdoors. Slight of built, he walked everywhere and he walked with an old man's shuffle. By my teenage years, his wife had been dead for quite some time.

For years, whenever I saw him- or my Mom for that matter, he would launch into what had to be his favorite story. It never failed to embarrass me to no end to have him launch into this story as I was the topic of the story. It goes back to when we lived next door to him and his wife on Cedar Lane- I was about three years old.

The story went like this:

Whenever Mr. Mullins would work in his garden in his backyard, I would follow him around and "help" him with his chores. My payment for "helping" him was a stick of Juicy Fruit gum. It wasn't long before I was following him around everytime he came outside. Mr. Mullins said I would follow him around and say, "chewgummullins, chewgummullins". He had no idea of what this little three year old girl was saying, so he would say, "Yes, Sharon, yes, yes", pat my head and go on about his business in the yard.

And I would continue to follow him, still talking to him.

Mr. Mullins said that this went on for days and days until one day, it came out clear as day: "Chewing gum, Mullins". And then he knew what I wanted! He picked me up and gave me a stick of Juicy Fruit gum from his jacket pocket.

After that, whenever I saw Mr. Mullins, he always gave me a pack of Juicy Fruit gum from his jacket pocket after telling me that story, or he would give me a quarter and tell me to go to the store and get me a pack of Juicy Fruit. Then he would give me a hug.

"Chewgummullins" has been dead for years and it's been years since I've thought about him. But now that I'm thinking and writing about him, I have tears trickling down my cheeks. I miss you, Chewgummullins and thank you for being so sweet to me.