A. M. Leathers

The stairs up to the first floor at 9/T Veeraswamy Street are a bit steep, especially if you’re carrying something heavy. Once you get up here to A. M. Leathers, the first thing you notice is that specific smell of tanned hides. It’s something that stays in your clothes long after you leave Periamet for the day. Our workspace is pretty simple. There are rolls of material in the corners and samples spread out on the tables where the light is best. We spend a lot of time looking at textures and colors, trying to make sure everything matches up. It’s not the cleanest job, as there's always a bit of scrap or thread on the floor, but we sweep up every evening. The street downstairs is always crowded with people moving goods, and the noise floats up through the open windows. Sometimes a cat from the neighborhood wanders in looking for a scrap of food, and we let it stay for a bit. We don’t have a big staff, just a few of us who know the business well enough to handle whatever comes in. It gets hot in the afternoons, so we keep the windows wide and hope for a breeze. Most of our regulars know to just come on up and shout if they don't see us at the front desk immediately. The work is steady and keeps us busy from morning until late.