On the corner, not too far from our house, is a little room that is opened on both sides, set into the building. There are bars from floor to ceiling, and behind the bars, goods are also packed from floor to ceiling. Oil, flour, sugar, soap, laundry detergent, and other necessities are easy to get at our little boutique.
We usually go there for our bread, or the cards we need to load credit on our phones. If we’re looking for a large bunch of groceries we’ll go to a supermarket, but the boutique is nice in a pinch. It’s also a great place to go when we are needing small change (which is a precious commodity here). Sometimes we’ll splurge and get some of the popular juice for the kids.
I love walking up there and watching the guys who work there interact with the little kids who come by on errands. I usually can’t understand what they are saying, since they are talking in Wolof, but the teasing banter transcends language barriers.
It’s especially cute to see the tiny hands reaching up to grasp at a piece of chocolate, candy or other treat that is being extended toward them.