The Candy Man

Almost everyone in town knew the Candy Man. And if they didn’t know him, they knew of him. And the Candy Man probably knew them, too. If he didn’t know them, then I’m sure he’d like to meet them. That’s just the way he was.

Now when I say he made the best candy in all the land I mean he made the very best candy in any land that’s ever rose above any sea. And if you could make candy underwater, well then I would tell you that he made the best candy in all the land and all the seas. And everyone knew it. People would travel from all over just for a taste of a creation from his bakery, Sugar Daddy’s. And he loved entertaining his guests. He greeted each with a warm smile and a bite of one of his delicious creations. He would even hand out sneak-tastes! of treats he was preparing to release the following season.

I mention the release of Sugar Daddy’s seasonal treats because this was always a big to-do. The whole town would gather in the square in front of his bakery hours before he opened his door. It felt like the minutes before New Years as we all willed time to move forward. When the doors finally opened the Candy Man would walk out with trays upon trays of samples.

Usually these candies were only available for the season, but some of the classics, well they became classics and stuck around. Maybe you heard of a couple. There was the back-to-school peanut butter sandwich named in honor of recess, gummi worms that came out on the first day of the harvest, and the Fourth of July candies named after fireworks that looked like exploding stars.

Business was good for Sugar Daddy’s. It actually got too good. The lines were too long. But when this happened the Candy Man got an idea.

The Candy Man began an apprenticeship program. He invited one aspiring chocolatier to work under him as a “Baby” for one year. This was a great honor. And the Candy Man enjoyed it, too. He loved their enthusiasm and even found their mistakes to be fun challenges. Did you know the Milky Way was created when a Baby poured too much milk into a giant batter that the Candy Man didn’t want to throw it away? Or that the first three original Butterfinger batters were dropped on to kitchen floor? Probably not. But how could you? The Candy Man would never gossip about one of Sugar Daddy’s Babies.

One day on his walk home from the bakery, the Candy Man saw a little girl selling candy bars on the street. Always curious to taste something new, the Candy Man asked if he could try one.

“55 cents please,” she said.

“My, look at you. Quite the entrepreneur,” the Candy Man said. “What do you call your treat?”

“It doesn’t have a name,” she said. “It’s just a candy bar.”

“Every candy needs a name,” he replied. “Why don’t we figure out a name together? Let’s start with your name — what’s your name?”

“I’m Ruth,” she said.

“What’s your favorite thing in the world, Ruth?”

“I like elephants.”

“Hmm…I don’t know if that’ll work. Do you always sell your candy on the same corner?”

“Yup.”

“Well why don’t we give it a name that tells people where they can get one?”

And was the day 5th Avenue had a candy bar named after it.

Later that night when the Candy Man sat in his study he decided that he would invite Ruth to be next year’s apprentice. A couple weeks later when the current Baby’s term ended, the Candy Man walked down to 5th Avenue asked Ruth to work for him.

Ruth’s first day marked the beginning a special time for Sugar Daddy’s for the Candy Man and Ruth were a great team.It seemed like everything they created became a classic. There were the Valentine’s Day chocolates that they shaped into lips and called Kisses, the Raisinettes they made for the Motown Festival, and the Crunch Bar they released when the football won the State Championship. It was truly a magical time of innovation at Sugar Daddy’s.

Months passed and business blossomed. Before the Candy Man and Ruth realized it, Ruth’s year was coming to an end. And though it upset him, the Candy Man knew he had to let her go. It was time for next Baby. As a token of his appreciation for all her hard work, the Candy Man did something that he had never done before: he created a candy in honor of the greatest Baby that ever chocolate-coated a chocolate-coated candy bar.

The morning of December 31st the Candy Man called Ruth into his office.

“Ruth, before we open the doors and release the New Year’s Candy, I want to thank you for all your hard work. This past year has been the greatest year in the history of Sugar Daddy’s. You’re a great chef and I’ve learned a lot working with you. As a token of my gratitude, I named this season’s candy bar in your honor. I call it the Baby Ruth.”

“Wait, are you letting me go?” Ruth asked.

The question took the Candy Man by surprise.

“Well, yes, today’s the last day of your apprenticeship.”

“But, but what about all we’ve done together? I’m more than a Baby!” She screamed. “I worked so hard. What about the Kisses and the Raisinettes! I’m the best partner you’ve ever had!”

“I’m sorry, Ruth, but your year’s come to an end. It’s time for me to train the next chef.”

Ruth stormed out of his office. Two days later there was a note posted on the front door of Sugar Daddy’s. “See you in court.”

The case was the talk of the town. On one side sat the kind and gentle Candy Man, and on the other, the wildly talented apprentice he took off the streets. Naturally, the media had a field day. In the end, Ruth won over half the year’s sales, plus interest.

Now I know what your thinking. How could she get so much? Surely the Candy Man made every Baby sign a contract to protect himself from this sort of thing. Well, unfortunately for the Candy Man, you’re wrong. The Candy Man was a candy man, not a businessman. He never imagined that something like this would happen. Why would someone he had helped hurt him?

Well Ruth didn’t stop there. Do you know what she did not four months after the judge awarded her the money? She opened a candy shop across the square from Sugar Daddy’s. And guess what she called it: PayDay’s.

As you can imagine, the Candy Man was devastated. He felt like a fool. How could he ever trust anyone ever again? And let’s not forget about the financial conundrum he found himself in.

The following months were not good for Sugar Daddy’s. The Candy Man didn’t bring on a new Baby because he felt he couldn’t trust anyone. Meanwhile, he couldn’t keep up with the workload so the quality started to drop. What’s worse, the media continued hounding him, saying he’s all washed up.

Now despite what you may have read in the paper, the Candy Man did come up with a few good candies that year. There was the nugget, caramel and peanut candy bar with the milk chocolate coating, which I suspect he named after the critics that were always laughing behind his back, then later he released Twizzlers, which I’m pretty sure was another commentary on the crooked journalists that twisted his story during the trial. Though these candies are now classics, they didn’t get the Candy Man out of his financial troubles. Sugar Daddy’s sales continued to drop when he needed them to go up.

Meanwhile, PayDay’s was doing great. There were always lines out the doors and sideshows taking place in the square. The whole thing felt very gimmicky if you ask me — too much razzle-dazzle without much substance — but it worked. On the Fourth of July everyone was munching on Pop Rocks, and they loved the back-to-school Nerds, which is a name that I’m certain the Candy Man would never use. And can you imagine the look on his face when Ruth released candy cigarettes? My oh my, one piece was more shocking then the next. I will say, however, that her remake of the Baby Ruth, which she named Nutrageous, was pretty good.

But let’s get back to our fallen hero. The Candy Man was desperate. He needed help. But what he did next, well I couldn’t believe it. Though when I think about it, it makes sense. Day in and day out, looking across his empty counter and out his storefront window, across the square and right to PayDay’s with its long lines and sword-swallowing jugglers, well I can see why he went to Ruth for help — I couldn’t believe it! But I can see why he did it. As I said, the man was desperate.

The story goes like this. The Candy Man closed his shop early one night and sat in the square waiting for Ruth. (He had a trench coat and hat on so no one would recognize him.) When Ruth walked out the Candy Man approached her. She was a bit startled at first — who wouldn’t be if a man in a trench coat approaches you late at night? Especially the very same man whose livelihood you ruined — but the Candy Man calmed her nerves. He asked to walk her home. On the walk explained his predicament. He told her about his financial troubles, how he felt he had lost his creative touch, everything. Then he dropped the bomb: he asked if he could work in her shop as an apprentice.

What I would give to have seen the look on her face. The second he asked, I’m sure the headlines raced into Ruth’s mind — “The Candy Man Hands Over the Crown” — “PayDay’s Wins Turf War” and even “Reunited.” Naturally, Ruth agreed and said she would send over a contract in the morning.

The contract arrived and the Candy Man signed it, though he added an addendum. He agreed to never remake any of the candy they created together and that should a piece reach X number of sales, he insisted that Ruth continuing selling it every season. Ruth signed it with a laughing shrug.

The next day, the Candy Man locked the doors of Sugar Daddy’s and walked across the square. Then the two chefs then got to work, each determined to match the other’s creativity. The story erupted into a media storm. There were interviews and pictures taken — the mayor even called them model citizens for being able to put aside their differences aside. And the lines — well they weren’t even lines. The square was a mob scene.

Finally the day arrived when they would release their creation. And as luck would have it, it was Halloween, the most important candy day of the year.

A crowd formed in the square, waiting for PayDay’s to open. The town pulsed with excitement. Finally Ruth stepped out followed by the Candy Man.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Ruth said. “Boys and girls. Your favorite candy shop is proud to present out latest creation. Introducing…Candy Corn!” The crowd eruprted as fireworks shot up, a marching band broke into song and dancers handed out bags of the new candy to everyone in the square.

The crowd tore them open, eager to taste the creation. And they were not disappointed. The first candy corn was delicious. And so was the second. The third was pretty good, too. The fourth piece of candy corn, well it was fine. It wasn’t a bad piece of candy. Most just bit the silver tip of their fifth piece then flicked the bottom on the ground. No one reached for a sixth piece. Or a seventh. Or an eighth. Instead they just took the rest them home and placed them in a bowl for decoration.

The Candy Man, meanwhile, had walked back to Sugar Daddy’s where he sat and smiled as he watched the crowd’s reaction. Just as he did on Thanksgiving and Christmas and Valentine’s Day and Easter, all the seasons that PayDay’s had to release candy corns.