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whether they could safely get upstairs by climbing the steps at the back of the store. Meanwhile, the small crowd yelled for the Pritchards, “Eileen, Richard – are you up there? Can you hear us?”
Someone, it wasn’t clear who, decided that it would be better to try to enter the back of the building. Bob, the painting contractor, ran to get his van from Danny’s parking lot because he had a ladder hanging on the side. And behold, there were the Pritchards leaning out of their second-“floor window as though contemplating the distance to the ground for their escape, which soon arrived by way of Bob’s ladder. Now it took a few strong people, including Hellen, who was a state champion body builder, to stabilize the ladder – what with the rain and that fact that the Pritchards had definitely been sampling their wares. Richard descended first so he could help his wife get through the window. Everyone cheered as they reached the ground apparently unharmed, and they themselves expressed their gratitude and vowed to give everyone free fudge as soon as the store was up and running again.
“Sugars,” Mr. Pritchard addressed his wife as he surveyed the damage, “I told you that we were going to need a new roof soon. I think we’re gonna get a new roof, siding, and walls as well.”
“Cocoa, I’m just so happy that Ralph is at work,” Eileen replied.
A couple of things to know here. These cutesy nicknames may lead one to believe that the Pritchards are young people, perhaps newly married and still attached to pet names. No. These are the names they have used since their courtship, forty years ago, when they were still in high school.
One would think from their initial reactions that they must be in shock, with them just examining the structure and showing no signs of loss or grief, but in fact, they were already onto what their next steps would be. Mrs. Pritchard called her sister and explained that they may have to stay with her a while; she was happy to accommodate them because they were so pleasant to be around, as long as you understood that you had to address them from the side, and not face-to-face.