Christ Mala

Living and working in Village Jatoi is quite a bit different from the big cities. Our shop, Christ Mala, is located in Ward No.2. Most of the folks around here know us because we are right near Hari Shankar Kirana. If you walk past the grain shop, you’ll see our door. It’s a modest place in Tehsil Mursan. I usually get here early to open up the windows and let some fresh air in. The building is old, and you can see some cracks in the plaster, but it has been standing for a long time. There is a big tree across the road where people congregate to escape the heat. We don’t have a big sign with lights, just a hand-painted one that is starting to peel a little. Inside, there are stacks of supplies we use for our work. It’s not very organized, but I know where everything is. My nephew helps me out on the weekends when he isn't at school. We spend a lot of time just waiting for the afternoon rush when people finish their chores. You hear the cows and the occasional motorbike passing by outside. It is a quiet existence. Sometimes Hari Shankar comes over to borrow a tool or just to complain about the price of lentils. We don't have much in the way of fancy furniture. Just a few benches and a heavy desk where I keep the accounts. We write our location as Dist., on the papers. It’s our way of life here in the village.