Jelly Beans

 I was looking for a real job after leaving White Oak.  There was a lot of retail experience in my background, so I succumbed to applying for those kind of positions.  One job I applied for was a customer service post.  I went to the interview in my three-piece suit and found it was a call center, and everyone was wearing jeans and t-shirts.  I was WAY overdressed.
 I did not want to work in another mall.  I really can't say why other than it seemed rather confining.  You worked and ate in the same place.  However, I had to find a job soon, so I went to Columbia Mall.  Since I had worked for Belk a couple of times before, I went into that store with the hopes that they would let me fill out an application and thus fulfill the requirement for getting unemployment funds.  They saw my application, and I was hired to work in the Books and Candy Departments.
 I had a lot of experience with Books, having worked at both Belk and Sanger Harris in the Book Department.  I did not have a lot of experience with Candy, except for eating it.  I expected to spend most of my time in Books, but I found myself most of it in Candy.
 We had a really good Candy Department, selling boxed as well as loose.  We had Brach, Sweet Shop and Godiva, and we also sold nuts.  For the boxed area, it was mostly Russell Stover.  We also sold Jelly Belly jelly beans.  When I was hired it was just before Easter, and folks were buying jelly beans.  We had a machine that would weigh the candy.  All I had to do was to punch in the price per pound and then weigh the candy to the desired ounce or pound.  The bad part about all of this was that I was not trained on my first day about how to use the machine.  A man came in and wanted a pound of jelly beans.  They were $3.99/pound, but I punched in $.39/pound.  He got a whole big bag of jelly beans and was very excited.  After that sale, they showed me how to work the scale.  The next day the same man was back.  He ordered the same amount, and I punched in $3.99/pound.  This time he got a handful of jelly beans rather than a big bag.  He got very angry.  I told him the jelly beans had gone up in price.  He never came back.
 I also had a theory that I had to know what the candy tasted like in order to sell them, at least that was my rationale.  The store didn't want the employees to eat the candy for free, but it made sense to me to be honest with the customers when they asked if it was any good.  I especially like Maple Nut Goodies and Chocolate Covered Peanuts.  Both were by Brach.  I really didn't care much for the more expensive candy, although Godiva Truffles were good.