onto a busy road running through the
suburb. The shop had a central wooden door painted a bright blue
with a window of four small clear glass panes in the upper half and
two narrow display windows on each side. Above the door was a sign,
also in blue which stated: DINAT TAYLORS. On the one side of the
shop was a shop selling men’s shoes and on the other, a small shop
selling herbal and traditional medicines.
The door swung
inwards and the lawyer reached in and switched on the interior
light. He turned to his clients.
"Please go in."
he said. "As the shop is to be yours from now on please be the
first people to enter."
Bala and Fatima
stepped forward hesitantly and entered the dimly-lit shop. The
familiar clean smell of new fabric filled the air. The shop was
divided into two halves by a glass-topped wooden counter on the
left as one entered, and on the right, a rack of new clothing
consisting mainly of men's shirts and jackets. A large antique
silver cash register with ornate decorations inscribed on its front
and large keys like an old typewriter stood at the far end of the
counter. Underneath the glass counter top was a selection of
different coloured zips and cards of buttons. The back half of the
shop contained a number of rolls of fabric, a wooden cutting table
with a large pair of black scissors and several tape measures on it
and two black motor-driven industrial sewing machines and chairs. A
large wall calendar with a photograph of the Taj Mahal at sunset
hung on the back wall. Two fluorescent strip lights were fastened
to the white ceiling. There was also a rack filled with clothing
either waiting to be repaired or already repaired.
"The cash that
was in the till at the time of your uncle's death has been
deposited into his savings account and the name of the account has
been changed to your name." Mister Finklestein explained to Bala.
"The utility account with the municipality has also been changed
into your name and the arrears paid. As the shop was rented by your
uncle the lease has also been changed to your name and your
landlord will be coming to visit you tomorrow. The clothing that
was in the shop when your uncle passed away and was urgently needed
was sent to another tailor so what's left here needs to be repaired
as soon as possible. I have informed your customers that they can
begin collecting their clothing as from next week. Do you think
that you can manage that?"
"I'm sure that
I can." Bala replied, nodding eagerly.
"Before I leave
you I must reiterate what I told you earlier in my office." Mister
Finklestein said. "The suburb of Pageview has been declared a
"white" area by the government and your shop and your house are
amongst the few still standing here. The government has moved all
the other businesses to the new Oriental Plaza in Fordsburg.
Although it's not far from here the centre is still very new, the
rents are very high and not many people come to shop there.
Hopefully that will change soon."
Bala
nodded.
"It's very
worrying." he said. "At this stage though, we must focus on keeping
my uncle's customers happy."
"In that case
I'll leave you and Misses Desai to get yourselves settled." Mister
Finklestein said. "If there's anything that I can help with please
let me know."
"Thank you. I
will." Bala said as he walked to the door of the shop with the
attorney. The lawyer left and Bala closed the door. He turned to
face his family.
"Well, my two
beloveds." he said. "This is much more that I ever expected. It's
obvious that uncle Rajesh had a very nice little business. We must
make sure that we maintain the standards that he had and if
possible, even improve on them."
Fatima nodded
her head slowly.
"Yes." she
said. "We have been given something wonderful and we must never let
it get away from us. We must work hard and diligently. Salona, you
can help me to dust the shop while your father goes through the
garments waiting to be repaired or altered."
While Fatima
and Salona cleaned and
suburb. The shop had a central wooden door painted a bright blue
with a window of four small clear glass panes in the upper half and
two narrow display windows on each side. Above the door was a sign,
also in blue which stated: DINAT TAYLORS. On the one side of the
shop was a shop selling men’s shoes and on the other, a small shop
selling herbal and traditional medicines.
The door swung
inwards and the lawyer reached in and switched on the interior
light. He turned to his clients.
"Please go in."
he said. "As the shop is to be yours from now on please be the
first people to enter."
Bala and Fatima
stepped forward hesitantly and entered the dimly-lit shop. The
familiar clean smell of new fabric filled the air. The shop was
divided into two halves by a glass-topped wooden counter on the
left as one entered, and on the right, a rack of new clothing
consisting mainly of men's shirts and jackets. A large antique
silver cash register with ornate decorations inscribed on its front
and large keys like an old typewriter stood at the far end of the
counter. Underneath the glass counter top was a selection of
different coloured zips and cards of buttons. The back half of the
shop contained a number of rolls of fabric, a wooden cutting table
with a large pair of black scissors and several tape measures on it
and two black motor-driven industrial sewing machines and chairs. A
large wall calendar with a photograph of the Taj Mahal at sunset
hung on the back wall. Two fluorescent strip lights were fastened
to the white ceiling. There was also a rack filled with clothing
either waiting to be repaired or already repaired.
"The cash that
was in the till at the time of your uncle's death has been
deposited into his savings account and the name of the account has
been changed to your name." Mister Finklestein explained to Bala.
"The utility account with the municipality has also been changed
into your name and the arrears paid. As the shop was rented by your
uncle the lease has also been changed to your name and your
landlord will be coming to visit you tomorrow. The clothing that
was in the shop when your uncle passed away and was urgently needed
was sent to another tailor so what's left here needs to be repaired
as soon as possible. I have informed your customers that they can
begin collecting their clothing as from next week. Do you think
that you can manage that?"
"I'm sure that
I can." Bala replied, nodding eagerly.
"Before I leave
you I must reiterate what I told you earlier in my office." Mister
Finklestein said. "The suburb of Pageview has been declared a
"white" area by the government and your shop and your house are
amongst the few still standing here. The government has moved all
the other businesses to the new Oriental Plaza in Fordsburg.
Although it's not far from here the centre is still very new, the
rents are very high and not many people come to shop there.
Hopefully that will change soon."
Bala
nodded.
"It's very
worrying." he said. "At this stage though, we must focus on keeping
my uncle's customers happy."
"In that case
I'll leave you and Misses Desai to get yourselves settled." Mister
Finklestein said. "If there's anything that I can help with please
let me know."
"Thank you. I
will." Bala said as he walked to the door of the shop with the
attorney. The lawyer left and Bala closed the door. He turned to
face his family.
"Well, my two
beloveds." he said. "This is much more that I ever expected. It's
obvious that uncle Rajesh had a very nice little business. We must
make sure that we maintain the standards that he had and if
possible, even improve on them."
Fatima nodded
her head slowly.
"Yes." she
said. "We have been given something wonderful and we must never let
it get away from us. We must work hard and diligently. Salona, you
can help me to dust the shop while your father goes through the
garments waiting to be repaired or altered."
While Fatima
and Salona cleaned and
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