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Memories of “Mr. Schubach” – Another Gems From The Heart Story Contest Entry

When
I was a kid I used to ride my bicycle to Tower Plaza Mall.  I didn’t
have much money to spend, but there was a video arcade a few doors down from
the Schubach Jewelry Store.  When I had exhausted my allowance, I’d
look into the windows of the store, fascinated by the watches and jewelry.

 

A few
years later I became a client.  Well, sort of.  On my 16th
birthday my mother gave me a 14kt gold serpentine necklace (they were actually somewhat
popular then!).  Being a teenage boy, I wasn’t always very careful
with it.  It was easy to kink, and I would take it to Mr. Schubach for
repair, not wanting my parents to know how careless I had been.  I still
didn’t have much money, and Mr. Schubach would always charge me a
ridiculously low repair fee. 

 

As
the years progressed I’d take watches and other items to Mr. Schubach
whenever I managed to mangle another gift from my parents (which always came
with a speech about responsibility).  As I began to earn money, first
delivering Penny Savers, then working at Cloth World as a stock boy, and eventually
my big move to Mary Coyle’s as a busy boy and waiter, I started
purchasing inexpensive gifts for Mother’s Day, birthdays, Christmas,
etc., from Schubach’s. 

 

What
I remember most about that small storefront at Tower Plaza
is how well Mr. Schubach treated me, with the respect one might a high-dollar
customer.  I was an awkward, insecure teenager, and wouldn’t even
enter the store unless Mr. Schubach was working, knowing that I’d be
treated like an adult, in spite of the fact that I had such limited spending
power.    

 

I
recall my mother losing a favorite earring – a lapis lazuli drop in a 14kt
filigree setting.  She was devastated, as it had been an especially
meaningful gift from my father.  I took the remaining earring to Mr.
Schubach, who scoured his catalogues in search of a replacement.  He found
a similar pair, which I purchased, and which my mother still wears today. 

 

When
the Schubachs decided to leave Tower
Plaza I felt as thought I
was losing a friend.  I’m thrilled to know that Joe has continued
the family tradition, and look forward to becoming a client once again.

 

Warmest
regards,

 

J. David Smith