Magic Man

"Hocus pocus, ala-kazaam, wham-bam, candy bar for Jimbo on the divan!" With those words I would run from my bedroom into the living room and look on the divan for THE candy bar. Sometimes one was there and sometimes Dad would have to try again. Dad would come home from "chasing" about the time I was going to bed and most of the time he would perform his magic routine. Sometimes the first attempt was a "fake" to get me out of the bedroom so his second try could be, "Hocus pocus mala-ka-fred, candy bar for Jimbo, under his bed" Sure enough, there it would be. I was pretty gullible at that age (4-5) and thought a little man lived in the walls moving candy bars around. Most of the time the "Magic" act would involve candy, but one time Dad made a puppy appear in the furnace room.
As part of Dad's job with Public Finance he had the responsibility at the end of the month to go "Chasing". That was his word for collecting delinquent payments. It was in the evenings or sometimes on saturdays. In Joplin he and Jack Watkins would go together. In later years (and other towns) Dad took me along for some Saturday excursions. And believe me, they really were "chases". Dad would go to the home of the customer and if they weren't there he'd sometime wait until they returned, go back later or leave to find them wherever they might be.
When Dad and Jack went "chasing" together in Joplin, Mom, Gregg and I would go over to the Watkins house or Donna and the Watkins girls would come to our house. On one occassion we were at the Watkins house. Donna and Mom were changing Gregg and Karens diaper on one of the beds. All of a sudden a big furry spider came out from under the bed. Much screaming, jumping back, leaving naked baby bottoms on the bed. When things settled down somewhat, the baby's were picked up and we all hurried to our house which was about a block away. When Dad and Jack returned home they killed the spider. No candy bar that night.