Skip to content

The Shopkeeper

The Shopkeeper was worried. It had been six months since he had last opened the shop’s shutters. The pandemic and the following lock down devastated small shopkeepers. Hassan’s shoe shop was no exception.After six long months, he and his family, which included his wife, three children, his mother, and a younger brother, had survived on their savings.There was no support from the government. The banks only extended the loan payment deadlines.As he slid up the shutters, his knees buckled. The shop appeared as if an earthquake had hit it. Some wooden shelves had collapsed. Rainwater had seeped through the roof. There were shoes everywhere. Those that remained in their boxes had melted soles. It was a disaster.Hassan sat there for a long time.Finally, he got up and said, “Nothing is going to stop me from surviving!” He started clearing the clutter.