02/03/2015
Well where to start..... I guess I will start at Isabel and Gerard Boyeas Market on the center of Main street, Brushton. At one time the store hustled and bustled with all kindz of customers. Rich, poor, young, old, and walkers and drivers. All the people in town knew old Izzy and Jeromus(as Izzy lovingly called him.) We weren't allowed to call them anything but Mr. and Mrs Boyea, my father was very strict about that. One could almost always see them lounging up against the display stand at the front of the store. I remember when that stand held different fruits, and veggies. Every morning Gerard would carry them out and set up the display, and most every nite, one of their kidz would bring the produce in. They had four children, Willard, (Billy), Linda, Gary and Bruce. They were a good bunch of kidz. typical teenz, as they used to argue with thier mom about going to Malone to ride around, and she'd say, "No--you are staying home tonight" They would get mad and get sassy, and big ol' Miss Nosey-Pants would always say "Don't sass your mother. that's not nice." Sometimes she would agree with me, and tell them "yeah--listen to her", but other timez she would tell me to mind my own beeswax.
Ol' Gerard usually was always stuck behind the meat counter, and chewing away on a big ol' cigar. Many timez he would give us Cox kidz the endz off the Glazier's bologna, depending on which one was there when he cut a new one open. That was a great treat for us. The plain white wrapper paper was held on a big roller, and a big spool of the string he used to wrap around the package of meat. I remember when they switched over to the little plastic bags, Izzy gave me the rest of the roll of the paper for my kids to use for drawing, many years down the road. The price would be marked with a black crayon- like pencil. Sometimes he couldn't find his "Friggin'" pencil, and he would yell the price down to Izzy, when the customer reached the counter. The meat case would hold various meats, but over the years, the meat slowly dwindled down to just a few coldcuts, and hotdogz. As Gerard's presence became rare, so did the smell of his stinky ol' cigar. So did his harsh voice, as he looked at us with a glare, but then his face would break into a wide grin. He loved putting the fear of God in us.
There was also a mirror in the back, above Gerard's head. He caught me taking a Hershey bar one time, when he was at he back cutting up the meat. I always wondered how the heck he saw me, cuz I was so careful to make sure that his back was to me before swiping the candy. He come up to the counter took my money from my hand for the meat, and held on to my hand. I laughed, but by his strict look, the laugh stuck in my throat. "What about the candy bar in your pocket, are you going to pay for that?", he asked thru a haze of cigar smoke. I stuttered and stumbled as I denied having a candy bar, but he wouldn't let my hand go until I admitted. I reached into my pocket, and he glared at me for another minute, and said "Don't do it again, or I'll tell your father ".. That was enough to make me never to steal a candy bar with Gerard in the store. The fear of a lickin' was a strong one. I asked years later, (I was all of about 11 yrs. old when I took the candy) how did he catch me. He told me he had eyes in the back of his head. But I finally came to realize, it was that precise tilted mirror over his head that did it. Talk about sneaky!!! More sneaky than I was, anyway. Later years, when Isabel would get ripped off daily, she would put signs handwritten by her up around her store "It's a sin to steal". If you could read her hen-scratching, that's waht the signs all said. One would be behind her counter, one down at the end where the snacks were, one on the soda cooler door. Also "God can see you stealing" was a favorite of hers too. But kidz didn't pay attention. She was robbed blind more than once. And it's shameful for me to know who did alot of the robbing. Just no consideration for the old folks.
Isabel held that store open for many years, even after Gerard died. She walked uptown every morning at 8:00, gathered the papers, and unlocked the doors. No more fresh produce out side on the display stand. That was mainly used as a leaning table now, with Izzy watching as cars passed and honked. Once in awhile, one would stop in, and she would visit for a minute or two. Her infectious laughter would be heard as we sat on the porch at my mother's house. How I loved to hear her laugh. I miss her.And every night at 9:00, her lights would go down, and Billy would come pick her up, or after he "left town" she walked--or if she was lucky enough, she'd catch a ride home with someone who would notice her walking.
You could never know how old she was, she would always say she was 16. I remember one time she was robbed, again, and the paper said that the 86 year old grocer was again robbed, and she was sooo mad!!! She said they didn't know how old she was, they were just guessing. I never really seen her so mad!! She took keeping her age a secret very seriously.
This is just some of the memories I have of the old Boyea's Market. Alot of people depended on her to keep food and beer in their fridge, but she was very much appreciated. And she was everyone's friend. If you knew Isabel, you truly were blessed. I know she's watching over the people she cared so much about.Fly high with those angels Izzy!!!!!!
