Abhi Fancy & General Stores

Down here in Edayarpalayam, life moves at its own slow pace. My shop, Abhi Fancy & General Stores, is located at 17/1, J.J.Nagar. It's a mix of everything really. I have the fancy things like hair clips, colorful ribbons, and some cheap jewelry that the school girls like to buy. Then there’s the general stuff like pens, school notebooks, and cleaning supplies for the house. Coimbatore can be quite pleasant, but the afternoons get very slow and quiet. I sit under the old fan and maybe read the daily paper. The shelves are painted a bright blue, but the paint is peeling off in places where the heavy boxes rub against it. I’ve lived in this area for a long time, so I know most of the families by their names. When someone has a wedding in their house, they come here for all the small bits and pieces they forgot. It’s a lot of work keeping track of so many small items like needles and thread. Sometimes I lose my pen and find it behind a stack of notebooks two days later. The front door is a heavy iron grill that I have to pull really hard to close at night. It makes a loud screeching sound. I should probably oil the hinges, but I always forget to do it. The street outside is narrow, so it gets very crowded when the school bus drops the kids off in the afternoon. That’s when it gets loudest in the shop. It’s just a small local business, nothing to brag about, just a day's work.