Welcome to Shady Valley

Remaining true to his name (or perhaps his title, nickname, or occupation—the specifics were not yet clear on this point), The Pedestrian left the Victorian house on the corner of 6th and Oak that was being remodeled with the assistance of Dan Dreiling, the drywall guy, and made his way on foot with the goal of visiting first Stella von Steincamp’s Good Time Pharmacy, then subsequently the Classic Tunes Music Emporium and a point of contact with the name, Alicia Hyfield.

Most, who were not residents of Shady Valley, might have needed a personal guide, detailed directions, or perhaps the assistance of a modern smart phone application that employed a global position system. Although arriving in Shady Valley a short time earlier, The Pedestrian required none of those. Almost as if he possessed an innate sense of direction, he eschewed his normal casual meandering gate to one exhibiting unwavering determination.

The Pedestrian’s determination, however, wavered when he approached Stan’s Ye Olde Bakery and Confectionery Shoppe en route to Classic Tunes Music Emporium. He stopped at the entrance and stared intensely at the interior of the Shoppe with a clear view of the confectionery filled glass display case. It wasn’t clear if he was motivated by nothing other than the desire to satisfy a sweet tooth with one of the pastries in the display case, which would have aligned him with the consumptive preferences of the vast majority of Shady Valley residents, or perhaps his motivation came from another source entirely.

After completing his momentary pause, The Pedestrian opened the door and entered. He approached the glass case displaying a wide variety of confectionery treats. His gaze first fixed on the assortment of donuts—glazed, caked, chocolate covered, some filed, others with sprinkles.—before moving onto bear claws, brownies, and several varieties of macrons (vanilla, chocolate, pistachio, and raspberry). He ultimately settled his gaze on chocolate eclairs.

The man behind the counter, perhaps a decade or more younger than The Pedestrian, said, “Greetings. Welcome to Stan’s Ye Olde Bakery and Confectionery Shoppe. What form of confectionery treat might I offer you today?” Noting his potential customer’s gaze, he asked, “Perhaps a chocolate eclair?”

The man making the offer of a chocolate eclair to appease The Pedestrian’s sweet tooth was clearly a fan of his own wares. Standing at slightly over 5’ 9”, about the same vertical stature as The Pedestrian, his girth was substantially more than that of his potential customer.

The Pedestrian moved what had been an intense visual focus on the display case itself to the man behind the glass display case.

“Am I to assume you are Stan, the titular proprietor of this bakery?” The Pedestrian asked, seemingly as nothing more than idle conversation.

“Indeed I am,” Stan replied staring closely at his customer for the first time. “Stan Sugarman, at your service.”

“Interesting surname. Was it antecedent or subsequent to your chosen occupation? Perhaps you have continued a long line of those with the Sugarman surname as a pâtissier.”

“I am the first Sugarman to operate a confectionery shop such as this. However, having never encountered my biological parents, it’s possible I come to my occupation by genetics rather than choice. The surname was provided by my adoptive parents and preceded my chosen occupation. Perhaps the connection between name and occupation is more than coincidental. If so it was not a conscious decision on my part.”

“Who’s to know the whys of one’s life.”

After a pause, accompanied by a continued stare, Stan Sugarman said, “You appear familiar. Have we meet before?”

The Pedestrian replied dismissively, “I have only recently arrived in your quaint hamlet.”

Stan Sugarman opted to relinquish his curiosity for the prospect of a potential sale.

“Well, then. Welcome to Shady Valley. Have you decided on a confectionery offering?”

The Pedestrian smiled and nodded, I would require little or no convincing to try one of your delightful looking chocolate eclairs, perhaps a half dozen would be even better.”

“Excellent choice. I prepared those earlier today, a scant two hours ago.” Stan Sugarman retrieve and bagged what appeared to be the six freshest of the recently produced chocolate eclairs, which he then handed to The Pedestrian. “Would you like a beverage, as well?”

“No, I believe this will satisfice on this morning.”

After providing payment for his confectionery treats, The Pedestrian departed Stan’s Ye Olde Bakery and Confectionery Shoppe. He paused on the sidewalk outside the Shoppe and taking a deep, but nervous breath, glanced back at Stan Sugarman. Stan smiled and waved. The Pedestrian toted the bag containing the chocolate eclair until reaching the end of the street, where he opened the bag and looked sorrowfully inside. He sighed, closed the bag, and deposited it into a nearby waste receptacle. He continued his journey around the corner, putting more distance between him and Stan’s Ye Olde Bakery and Confectionery Shoppe.

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