Kalarickals Stores

Kalarickals Stores is right in the middle of Kalarickal Bazar in Pallivathukkal. It’s been here a long time, and I think the walls have seen a lot of changes in the town. Usually, I start the day by sweeping the front step because the dust from the bazaar road always settles there overnight. There isn’t much to the place, just some shelves and a heavy counter where I sit. People from the nearby houses walk over when they need things, and we usually end up talking about the weather or the news. It gets quite hot in the afternoons, so I often leave the back door open to get a bit of a breeze through the building. The shelves are packed with all sorts of things, and sometimes I have trouble finding exactly what someone is looking for right away. The building itself is older, with some cracks in the plaster that we never got around to fixing properly. We don't have any fancy lights, just the normal tubes that flicker a bit when you first turn them on. Pallivathukkal is a quiet enough place most of the time, except when the market is in full swing. I like being here because I know everyone’s face. It isn't a big operation or anything like that. It is just me and the shop, doing what we do every day. The wood on the counter is worn down where people lean on it.