THE ICE-CREAM VAN

The ice-cream vans have been doing the rounds in this neighbourhood for thirty-years, or more. This one is an old bright green Kombi, with a white roof. It has bold, colourful lettering on the sides that read; ‘Ice-Cream’. As it drives very slowly through the winding streets and avenues of the neighbourhood, it plays its happy, old familiar tune.

It has been driving around here on weekends for many years, playing that same old ‘ding-a-ling-dong’ tune, as it drives about and sells ice-creams. When the children hear it approaching a block or two away, they quickly collect money from their parents, and run outside to stop it, and buy ice-creams.

Now, a small group of children are thronged around it, as it stands outside a house on the pavement. The operator of the ice-cream van prepares the orders for the children. He takes the cones, and with the flick of a switch, adds a swirl of thick ice-cream to the centre and top of it. Then he adorns it with a red sweet sauce, and maybe a sprinkling of nuts. If you want a flake in centre of your ice-cream, it will cost you a little extra.

The man dishes out the ice-creams to the children, and takes the notes and silver coins from their tiny hands. Then, amongst themselves, they sort out the change. The children walk off happily back home with their ice-creams, licking them as they walk. Warm weather is always a good time for ice-cream.

Then the old green van crawls slowly away, up the street again, playing; ‘ding-a-ling-dong, dong-a-long-ding…’ as it drives off merrily. All afternoon the man drives around the old neighbourhoods, and earns himself a bit of extra cash. He likes his work, and his old green ice-cream van, and he whistles happily along with the tune as he drives on down the road under the shade of the tall trees.