A Different Bookstore-Serendra and then some

If you have a retail business, be sure to be around come opening and closing time each and every day. Two examples why:

last night we were in Serendra. After spending time in Fully Booked, we went to Mary Grace for some cheese roll to take home just in case our son was hungry after the prom and then hied off to A Different Bookstore nearby. I've always known it closes at midnight, which was why we confidently strode in.

As we browsed, this lady was recommending me stuff which I looked at, all the time aware of the clanging of plates and utensils near the front of the shop. Yes, the bookstore has a coffee shop. The clanging was getting into my nerves and called to mind what a now dead relative said to her maids one time I was in her kitchen helping her make sandwiches. She chided her maids thus: "Hinay lang mag panghimos, daw ara kamo sa Chinese restaurant." Then she explained to me how Chinese restaurant waiters usually work so noisily, no attempt at finesse whatsoever. And I noticed this myself years later and would thus constantly remember my cousin. So hearing this kind of noise in the bookstore's coffee shop alerted me to the possibility that he was making all that ruckus because he wanted people to leave.

I was holding on to one book when I asked the lady sales clerk hovering nearby, "what time are you closing?" She said, "magsasara na nga po kami." I looked at my watch. It was 11:30. So I called out to my husband, "They're closing." By then my husband was holding a book he was contemplating on buying, but decided to put it down and get me. The lady said "Sige lang ma'am, baka gusto pa bumili ni Sir." I asked, "what time are you really closing?" She said, "12". I was dumbfounded. That was a good 30 minutes away. Oh boy. But we chose to leave even as we realized we still had a half hour to browse.

Second story:

This is the story of a friend. Along West Avenue are several restos. One night around 8, she and her husband and son walked into one. Shortly after they ordered, the waiters began to pull down the blinds and turn off some lights. Apparently, the waiters wanted them to be the last customers. Not long after, however, the waiters turned on all the lights again as they saw a car arrive. It was the owner. So, business resumed as usual.

Bonus story: My sister was choosing a belt from among many in a reputable store. The one she wanted cost more than the others. the sales girl offered to switch tags. My sister balked and left.