He was worried. It had been six months since he had last opened the shop’s shutters. The pandemic and the following lockdown had devastated small shopkeepers. Hassan’s shoe shop was no exception.
Six long months, he and his family comprising his wife, three children, mother and younger brother had survived on their savings.
There was no support from the Government. All that the banks did was to extend the loan payment deadlines.
As he slid up the shutters, his knees buckled. The shop appeared as if an earthquake had hit it. Some of the 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!” and began clearing the clutter.