Jimmy Pat and Delivery & Taxi Services

The other day I heard a commercial for a certain pharmacy. They vaguely said they could deliver your prescribed (for an additional price). It reminded me of the drugstores in Marietta like Atherton’s, Dunaway’s, Hodges, Jones, Williams’s, and more that delivered. And not only would they deliver prescriptions but also whatever your heart desired from the soda fountain. When we lived on Manget Street in south Marietta one time Atherton came to the door with some over the counter medicine the man said we ordered. We didn’t. As he was backing out Dunaway’s deliverer was waiting, and more came. They tried to deliver Ex-Lax, banana splits, Sundaes, milk shakes, cherry Cokes, French Fries, and more. And then Victory Cab Company came to pick up somebody at our address. Then two or three move taxi came. My mother was having a fit. Somebody was playing a joke. Then my mischievous friend Jimmy Pat called. He happily said to my mother when she answered the phone, “Hi Mrs. Hunter, this is Jimmy Pat. What’s new?” My mother did not use fowl language much, but with Jimmy Pat this time, it was an exception. She more or less said, “Jimmy Pat you know damn well “what’s new”!” And I think he probably sat and held the phone to his ear and giggle as she chewed him out. Jimmy played a lot of practical jokes that I am surprised somebody didn’t shoot him. He died as a young man stooping over picking up his miniature dog. Heart attack.