It all started back in the Motherland, people were flocking to boats as there was rumors of prohibition across the pond and money to be made.

My mother and I were just finishing supper when someone knocked on our door. My mother was somewhat frantic as she went towards the door. Mother was having a quiet conversation with whomever was at the door.

I heard coins rattling between hands and a zip of a zipper, I assumed there had been a transaction of some sort.

I noticed Mother finishing up the conversation at the door and almost subtly trying to hide in her hands a coin purse. After she sat back at the table I asked her what she was doing with the coin and the stranger who knocked on our door

"eat your soup dear"

she said to me almost afraid to elaborate on what has just occurred. I hurriedly finished the soup as to make an attempt to catch whomever was knocking at our door, I ran out the back door after stashing my bowl in the sink and darted out the back door. all that could be heard were wagon wheels on the cobble stone and a faint flicker far down the street of a lantern.

"darn I've just missed them"

I said to myself as I scampered back in the door hoping mother didn't notice my short escape out of the house. It was beginning to come to bed time as the sky had darkened. Mother came to me and ushered me to bed after a couple hours of puzzles on the floor for it was the weekend and school was let out.

As I was restless thinking of what had occurred earlier I tossed and turned in bed, I heard another but this time very faint knock at the door followed by the creak of a door opening. I sat up in bed and quietly tried to get to the window to see if I could catch a glance as to who was at the door this time. The floor boards creaked under my weight as i heard the same transaction but a little faster this time as the coins and zip followed even closer than before. The door closed and locked I heard mother begin her way to the bedroom but I didn't want to leave the window so early I just needed to catch a glimpse of the visitor we had perhaps it was the same perhaps it was a new visitor.

Mother made her way upstairs and opened the door to my bedroom just as I made it back in bed to pretend like I've been there all along, mother then blew out the light in the hall and proceeded to bed.

After a long restless night thinking of the possibilities of who could have been at the door I awoke to a clang and a sweet aroma of breakfast.

I scampered down the stairs as Mother was plating the food. It was early morn and the heat had not yet kicked into to welcome the house to the day. I went for my sweater hanging on the coat rack for some warmth, I noticed a jingle as I removed the sweater off the coat rack. I peered into Mother's jacket pockets and did notice some coin as well as a scrap of paper. I had no time to grab the paper to see what was on it.

"go have fun in the streets my dear I'm sure your anxious to begin your weekend off"

Mother said to me

I went to the kitchen to have a glass of water before I went out to meet some friends from school to begin to tell them the story of the mysterious visitors or visitor that Mother had met with.

As I went down the street to my friends house I noticed out of the corner of my eye a man going up to our house and knock on the door. I took shelter on the corner of a neighboring house. The man had with him a crate. I've never seen this fashion of crate before it had what appeared to be a bible emblazoned on the side and appeared to be about 2 feet by 2 feet wide and high. As I stayed and observed the transaction from a far the man handed the crate to Mother and carried on about his way. I ran back home but came upon the back of the house and peered in a window to see Mother carrying the crate into the kitchen. It couldn't have been too heavy as Mother was fairly light herself, she placed the crate on the kitchen table and began to pry the top off. What id seen next only confused me even more.

Mother reached into the crate and withdrew several empty bottles. I began to wonder what mother was doing with empty bottles, perhaps she had paid for them the night before however I didn't notice of mother had made or received payment.
 

Mother then took the bottles off the table one by one bringing them over to the counter lining them up as I assumed they were lined up in the crate. A short while later I noticed Mother go to the door way at the front of the house. I could not hear or see anything and decided to stay where i was to see what Mother would do with these bottles. she returned shortly and with coin purse in hand.

Another transaction perhaps? Was she making or receiving payment? Mother than took the bottles to the coal stove.

After watching Mother place the bottles by the coal stove I heard a knock at the door, a loud obnoxious knock. Mother placed a cloth over the bottles and went to answer the door I had not seen mother hide anything in the house before so this was strange. Mother appeared back near the coal stove after dealing with the knock on the door. I then heard my name being shouted but not by mother.

"Liam! Liam! Liam!!!!!!!!!!"

I ran to the streets to see who it was, it was my friend Walter.

"Walter your not going to believe this come with me"

I led Walter back to the window I was peering through to watch the bottles and Mother, when I arrived there mother and the bottles were gone

"Whats the big deal Liam? I know what your house looks like"

"calm down Walter, Mother had some sort of bottles arrive today from a man in a torn up almost scrappy outfit not only that but last night and during supper someone came to our house with coins"

"maybe it was just the milkman, c'mon lets got play"

Walter said in an anxious tone

With the bottles and Mother gone I decided the observance was over for the day or at least for now so I went with Walter to gather some more friends to play for the day, for it was the weekend and we had all day to play around and goof off.