random memory: red bag of marbles

This is one of my very few early childhood memories. I was 5 or 6 and had saved enough odd change to buy a bag of marbles. Marbles had recently become the big thing. I walked quite far to the convenience store. It was called, "Copps" and I think it was about a 15 or 20 min walk.

When I got there, there was a big bin that rested on the ground and went up to around my mid-chest. There were many smaller bags on top, red and green were the pre-dominant colours of those bags, but I wanted a big red bag. I couldn't find one so started digging. I remember the old man that was always working behind the cash register looking at me in ways that made me feel bad. I remember him talking to an older lady while looking at me that way.

I finally found a big red bag near the bottom. It had taken me a while! I grabbed it and lined up behind 2 or 3 other people. When it was my turn I took out all my small change and counted it out onto the counter. I remember the bad feeling from the old man happening again. He grabbed my hard won bag of red marbles and put it back in the bin. He then grabbed a small green bag and came back behind the counter and gave it to me. I felt so much shock and pain.

I tried to not care that I had a green bag instead of a red bag, and was just happy to have marbles to play with at recess, with the other kids.

As I wrote down this random memory I realized I have never liked the colour red since.