The kids would arrive to the store, looking for candies and ice cream; while Camila, would go in to look for a new book to read…
Don Anastasio, the owner of the store, liked to share a morning cup of coffee with his friend, Gregorio, the owner of the pharmacy at the corner. They would sit beneath the shade of a big red parasol to chat for a while, before they began their day and opened their respective shops.
“Well Gregorio, that´s the way it goes with the books in my shop. I can count the clients that buy books from me, with one hand, and I’ll still have one of my fingers left over. What do you think about that?”
“For Father John, the priest, I always have some novels in stock. You know, the kind that talk about the lives of the Saints and all. He’ll come around to the store, maybe twice a month, Saturdays after lunch.”
“That’s right! First, he goes by my place to pick up a remedy that I prepare, especially for his digestion. That guy is always sick in the stomach! Everything he does and doesn’t eat upsets him…”
“Then, there’s Doña Maria. With her, I never have an idea when she’ll pop up, also because she buys a lot of other things for her farm. You know how she’s running around doing errands in town, always on the run! She buys books in English and in Spanish, how’s that for a sharp lady, who learned to read and write when she got married?”
Doña Maria was the owner of the El Refugio Ranch, the biggest cattle ranch in the region. She was always in a hurry, taking care of the business that she ran by herself, since her husband passed away a few years ago.
“After that, come’s the teacher, Rafita. Man, that’s a nice, sweet guy. He comes in to buy books for himself and for that library he keeps for his students, you know, down in the village school.”, he continued remarking. “But, I’ll tell you. My favourite client, is little Camila, Don Fabio’s daughter, you know, the owner of that big chicken farm down the road. You should see her eyes grow large, as she looks at the new books I brought in. That little girl is really such a sweet and happy kid…”
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