Saraswathi Stores

I usually get here a bit before eight. The lock on the front gate sticks sometimes if it rained the night before. This spot in Kannipiran Colony gets pretty busy once the school buses start moving. We are right on Avinashi Road, just a little ways down from the Singapore Duty Paid Shop. Most people use that shop as a landmark when they are trying to find us for the first time. It is a small space, really. We have shelves lining every wall and sometimes things get a bit cluttered when a new delivery comes in on Tuesdays. I try to keep it organized but there is always a box of something sitting in the aisle. Most of our regulars live right here in the colony. They come in for small things they forgot during their big weekly shopping trip. You get to know people after a while. I know who wants a specific brand of soap or who is looking for the freshest batch of snacks. The ceiling fan makes a clicking noise on its highest setting but it keeps the air moving. Some days it gets quite hot by noon. We just keep the doors open and hope for a breeze. It is just a normal shop where we try to have what people need. Nothing too fancy happens here. We just count the stock and wait for the evening rush when people head home from work to stop by for their daily supplies.