It was the summer time, and there was a 16-year-old boy named David that was walking alone in a town that he was unfamiliar with. It was his birthday, but he wanted to be alone. He had just moved to this new town with his family, and he was feeling depressed. He had suffered a great loss in his hometown and moving away really didn’t help him. In fact, it made things worse for him.
As he was walking, he noticed a candy shop to his right. He had a few dollars in his pocket, and he was kind of in the mood to eat some candy. He really didn’t think that candy was going to help with his depression, but it was worth a try.
He walked into the candy shop, and he was immediately greeted by Clarence, the candy man. Clarence was an old man with a youthful spirit inside of him. Everyone in town loved Clarence. In town, he was called “the sweetest man in town” not because he sold candy but because he was the kindest man with the purest heart.
“Are you new in town?” asked Clarence.
David told Clarence that he was new in town, and he told Clarence his name. Clarence smiled at David and gave him a handshake. It was weird for David. There was a familiarity, warmth and comfort with Clarence that made him uncomfortable, and he wanted to get out of there. He quickly asked if he could have some candy, and Clarence showed him all the candy he had. Clarence noticed that there was a sadness in David, and he wanted David to explore for himself. Clarence was studying David from afar as he was walking around the candy shop. He noticed David wasn’t interested in chocolate, caramel, lollipops, gummy worms and bears, sour candy, gum or taffy. Instead, Clarence found David stopping and staring at the skittles. This was interesting to Clarence. Clarence came to David’s side and studied the skittles with David.
Then, he asked, “Oh, do you like skittles?”
David reluctantly said yes, and Clarence said, “That’s good, you know skittles are my favorite too. There’s just something special and magical about them.”
He smiled at David, and David couldn’t help but smile back.
“Do you have a favorite skittle, David?”, Clarence asked.
David shook his head and said that they all taste the same. Immediately, Clarence responded, “Why that’s preposterous? As a candy man, I am insulted that you think all skittles are the same. I can’t believe my ears heard such ignorance.”
David couldn’t help but laugh at Clarence’s outrage, and Clarence couldn’t help but smile at David’s laughter. Clarence had a proposition David. He quickly went into the backroom and came out with a jar of blue skittles. Then, he got a bag and filled it with blue skittles. Once he was done, he presented it to David and said, “Just eat some blue skittles for one day today, and then tomorrow come back here and maybe have some different skittles tomorrow. Then, you might be able to see the difference of each skittle.”
“Why can’t I just have a blue skittle, then have a red skittle right now? Wouldn’t it be easier to just have a quick taste test right now?”, David asked.
“True, but I want you to just taste blue skittles and actually notice the flavor that’s deep inside the blue skittle because it is truly a special flavor,” Clarence added.
David chuckled at Clarence’s statement and agreed to just have blue skittles. David reached into his pocket to get his money, but Clarence quickly told him that there was no charge. David thanked Clarence and told him that he would see him tomorrow.
David came out of the candy shop with his bag of blue skittles. He couldn’t help but laugh about Clarence. Then, he quickly started to frown again. He couldn’t forget just like that.
As he was walking home, he took out a blue skittle and put it in his mouth. He tasted, and it was amazing to him. The flavor was so distinct and pure to him. It was weird because there was something familiar, yet exotic about the blue skittle. Something magical. David couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that he was talking like Clarence the candy man. He put a few more in his mouth, and he was happy. He was reminded of some special memories in his past that he had almost forgotten. He cried as he was grateful for the blue skittles. By the time he made it home, all of his blue skittles were gone. His parents noticed that he was happier than usual, and it didn’t look like he was thinking about his loss.
The next day, David went to the candy shop and requested some more blue skittles. Clarence wondered if he wanted to try some different skittles, and David replied, “No, I don’t need any other skittles, but the blue skittles. They’re just different and special to me. You were right, I guess there is something special about each individual skittle, especially the blue skittles.”
“Of course I was right, I’m the candy man,” Clarence joked.
They laughed with each other and talked for a little bit. Clarence then put some blue skittles in a bag for David, and David was almost about to leave. All of a sudden, Clarence stopped him. David didn’t understand. Clarence reminded him that he had to pay for the blue skittles. David apologized for forgetting to pay. As he was going for his wallet, he quickly realized that he had left his wallet at home. David apologized and was going to give Clarence back the blue skittles he bagged, however Clarence stopped him.
Clarence stated, “Nothing in this world is free, David, especially good things. Everything in this world has to be earned. With that being said, how do you feel about working for me?”
David was actually looking for a job in the summertime, so this was convenient for him. Also, he liked Clarence. Clarence reminded him of his good times in his hometown. David gladly accepted Clarence’s offer. Clarence was happy to hear this and told David that he would start tomorrow. He even allowed Matthew to take the bag of blue skittles home with him.
For almost two years, David was working for Clarence, the candy man. Those years were good to David. He was happier, and he got to eat all the candy he wanted. At first, he was just eating blue skittles, but then he realized he wanted more. He started eating red, yellow, green, purple and pink skittles. He tried orange skittles, but he didn’t like them that much. Then, he explored and started eating pretty much all the candy in the store. He ate and welcomed the chocolate, caramel, lollipops, gummy worms and bears, sour candy, gum and taffy in the store. Clarence assured David that he deserved and had a right to eat any and all the candy in the store. In those two years, Clarence and David were almost inseparable and became the best of friends.
On David’s 18th birthday, he decided that he wanted to have a birthday party with his friends and family. He didn’t want to be alone. Clarence was there, and he couldn’t help but smile at David being happy. However, Clarence had to give David some bad news. He told David that he had to close up the candy shop. David didn’t understand. Clarence explained that he’s been wanting to close it for years, so that he could relax and retire in Florida. It hurt David that Clarence was closing up the candy shop. The candy shop was everything to him, but he understood that Clarence wanted to rest and be happy. David congratulated Clarence and wished him nothing but the best. Then, David joked, “Looks like I’ll be done with blue skittles for a while.”
Clarence chuckled and responded, “Oh don’t worry, I’m keeping all the candy I have, including the blue skittles. I’ll definitely send you as much as I can from Florida. But where you’re going to college, I’m sure that there are plenty of candy shops or stores to choose from that have everything, including blue skittles. You’ll just have to look around and find out.”
They hugged each other and went there separate ways.
Five years passed, and David learned that Clarence had died from leukemia. It was deja vu for David. He was depressed and sad to learn that his old friend had died. David was ready to close himself off to the world and be alone. Clarence wouldn’t let that happen. He sent David a package a few days before he passed away, and it was something that David needed to see. When David received the package, he opened it and discovered that it was a big bag of blue skittles. He smiled at this. There was also a note in the package. He grabbed it and it read,
“These are all the blue skittles I have left to give you. Enjoy them and never forget the magic and the special taste that the blue skittles have. Enjoy them and all the candy this world has to offer you.
-Your friend, Clarence the candy man”
He smiled at Clarence’s note and cried. He couldn’t believe that even while Clarence was suffering from leukemia, Clarence still had time to think about him and send him something that he truly needed. That was something to David, maybe love.
Once David stopped crying, he opened the bag of blue skittles and started eating some. Then, he looked up at the ceiling, smiled and whispered, “Thank you, Clarence, for the blue skittles.”
The Warfield Zone 