Mercy Meyer, a student at Cloverdale Primary School, won the “All School’s Sales Competition” in the school’s end of winter Otis Spunkmeyer Cookie Dough fund raiser. The fund raiser was the most successful ever, bringing in twice the amount as last year’s end of winter event. Last year, the students sold left over Christmas wrapping and bows from their December fund raiser. The event was called “The Early Christmas Sale”. Yes, it was eight months before Christmas and nobody seemed interested in purchasing the wrapping and bows nobody wanted a few months earlier, but the school needed to clear the shelves in the storage room for the Start of Summer Swimwear Fashions Fund Raiser.
Mercy Meyer’s father is the regional manager for the PiggyMart Convenience Stores and Gas Stations. PiggyMarts are found in all the villages and hamlets throughout the Cloverdale district. Paul Meyer is responsible for the hiring and firing of staff, staff training, inventory and sales. Each PiggyMart store manager is responsible for ordering product (what’s sold on the shelves) and ensuring the underground tanks are always full of gasoline.
All PiggyMart’s sell freshly baked cookies. Every store has its own Cookie Bake Oven (an industrialized version of the EZBake Oven). Cookie dough is delivered weekly by refridgerated truck from a central warehouse in Dibley in the Downs. The employees are responsible to thaw the dough during the night and bake a tray of cookies every hour throughout the day. A window light is switch on every time the cookies come out of the oven signaling to the public that another tray of hot, delicious, home made cookies are fresh out of the oven. This sales gimmick was the brain child of Mercy's dad.
Mercy nearly fell out of her chair when she heard the school would be selling cookie dough for their End of Winter Fund Raiser. After school she rushed down to the PiggyMart near the school to pick up her usual Slurpee and cookie, compliments of PiggyMart. Actually, no one would dare question anything Mercy did in a PiggyMart. She was their District Manager’s only little girl.
Percy Plum, the afternoon supervisor, was at the cash register checking a teenager's fake ID. He was trying to purchase a case of beer and looking very uncomfortable about it. The word "Guilty" was written across his face in pimples.
“Nice try. Get lost before I call the cops,” Percy said, tossing the fake ID in the trash under the counter. The teen rushed out the door and into a waiting 1974 VW Bug. The car took off at a speed one would expect from an clapped out Bug maintained by delinquent teens.
“Your usual then?” Percy asked Mercy.
“Percy, who makes the cookie dough you sell?” Mercy asked while looking through the window into the Cookie Bake Oven.
“Don’t know. Why?”
“Well, you’re about to know. My dad will be telling you to start pushing cookies on every customer. More details to follow. Bye.” Mercy ran out of the store and down the street for home.
Mercy anxiously waited for her father to get home from work. The fund raiser materials were laid out on the kitchen table. Mercy had her speech written and waiting. She grabbed him by the hand and led him into the kitchen. Mercy's mom made a quick escape to her bedroom. She gave her husband that look they pass to each other when Mercy is about to 'Insist' on something. He knew from the look that all hope would be lost if his answer was "No" but he would still try and hold out for as long as patience would allow. One hour later, after an exhausting debate that included threats to run away or get straight F’s or never to speak to him again, Mercy got her father to agree to require all his stores to purchase cookie dough from Mercy.
Needless to say, Mercy’s sales far exceeded everyone else’s combined in the school. Mercy won the cash award, the bike, the computer, the skateboard, the Ipod and the ride around town in a limo. The other students grumbled and swore they’d never sell anything else for the school again. Parents called and complained but there wasn’t anything that could be done. Mercy won fair and square and she was very happy about that.
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