Hanging out at the local drugstore
We were The Triumvirate – Suzanne Higgs, Brenda Mitchell and me — and the local drugstore is where we reigned. It was our favorite place since we had no malt shop or drive-in to go for entertainment.
Growing up, we three were best friends. Sometimes, Suzanne and I grew jealous of “Other Brenda” (by the way, she calls me that) because she attracted the boys with her beautiful smile and auburn hair. Sometimes, “Other Brenda” and I grew jealous of Suzanne because she learned to drive first. Sometimes, they say they grew jealous of me because of my grades. As the Triumvirate ( a vocab word we had to memorize,) however, we balanced each other pretty well, I guess.
Before we could drive, we walked to the drugstore. We sat at OUR marble topped table at the back, eating ice cream or sipping cherry Coke and kept our eyes on the door. We watched everyone who came in and often giggled and talked under our breath.
We browsed the magazine counter, looking at the latest “Archie and Veronica” and Katy Keene” funny books before moving on to “Photoplay” and “Movie World” as we grew older. We searched them for glossy pictures of our favorite stars to hang in our rooms. Later, we checked out the fashions in “Seventeen” and the titles of stories in “Ingenue.” We visited with friends. We talked about boys. We were never bored.
If nothing else was going on, we were entertained by watching the proprietors going about their work. Mr. Doak tended the soda fountain. We marveled at the way he made all those treats without splattering a single drop on his pristine shirt.
Mr. Wesley was at the ‘pharmacy’ along the back wall. We watched him take down apothecary jars of mysterious elixirs and liquids with strange exotic smells and measure them in a graduate, stirred them with a glass rod and filled the brown bottles. All medicine, whether tonic or pill, was labeled with his distinctive calligraphy for proper dosage.
As young teens, we shopped the cosmetic table in front. We three often bought the same thing. Our first lipstick was Coty’s “Natural”-- its tallow stick providing a pale gloss. Our first colored nail polish was “Pretty Pink” by Culex. At
15, our perfume came in a dark blue bottle, “Evening In Paris.”
Then, came another milestone (we named all ‘firsts’ by this term), our first mascara. We could be seen between classes pulling from pocket books the little red boxes by Maybelline. Younger girls were envious as they watched us spit into the brown powder. I know water’s supposed to be used, but we spat.
Besides ice cream and fountain drinks, the drugstore served “flips” similar to a snow cone. Served in a cylinder Dixie Cup over chipped (not shaved) ice, flavored fruit or cola syrup was poured and it sold for a nickle. “Do you remember Flips at the drugstore?” has been asked at every school reunion for the past 60 years.
A couple of funny stories here: Mr. Doak always wore a too-long tie with his dress shirt. One day, the town smart-aleck came in and ordered a cone. Leaning over the case, Mr. Doak asked him,”What flavor?” “Oh, whatever it is your tie is hanging in.” Another story-true or not- I’ve heard. A country couple were brought to the drugstore for their first ice cream cone by their son visiting from the city. They ate the rich cream, savoring every lick when the old lady noticed her husband bite into the cone. “Waylon! Stop that! They’ll want these little cups back!”
Suzanne drove her mother’s car to school each day she didn’t Ms. Obie didn’t have a beauty shop appointment. As soon as the last bell rang, Other Brenda and I rushed to the car to see who would get the front seat. I was usually first to arrive because she’d stop to flirt if the opportunity arose.
We parked at the drugstore and Suzanne honked for Mr. Doak. Our orders were predictable: Suzanne’s ice cream with Coke syrup, my cherry Coke and Other Brenda’s scoop of vanilla and a bag of Fritos. Weird!
As mentioned earlier, this is where we reigned. Other kids walked to the drugstore. They’d hesitate, wave, and smile, waiting for an invitation to sit inside our car. We rolled up the windows if we didn’t want to invite them. The Triumvirate was “special.”
Last fall, my husband and I drove into North Arkansas. We passed an old drugstore in a small town and I had him stop while I went inside. “May I help you?” called the pharmacist in back. “No,” I answered, “I just came in to smell your store.” Inside, I found marble tables, black and white tiles, a similar lay-out and the SAME sweet/ medicinal smell. It took me ‘home’ again. In my mind, I could see Mr. Doak creating his confections and Mr. Wesley performing his magic.
In fact, I could see the Triumvirate again– hovering at a table nearby-- in ghost-like observance, almost close enough I could reach out and touch them!
Where are they today? Suzanne has retired from Southwest Airlines in Dallas. We talk weekly. Other Brenda resides on her husband’s family plantation owned since 1888 near Scott. She spends her time doing charity work and serving on numerous boards. A former Arkansas Business Woman of the Year, she has traveled the world. She took me to our yearly lunch at the Little Rock Country Club last Friday and we giggled and reminisced as always. And me? I’m here enjoying my life by the lake, caring for my husband...and talking to you!