A Crowded Shopping Centre

A crowded shopping centre

The crowd had not dwindled. On the other hand, it had become more boisterous: animated. It had come to life. I looked about me as I waited for my friend in the middle of the shopping centre. The crowd was made up of a myriad of characters. Everywhere, children dashed about. Groups of teenagers with multi- colored spiky hair walked about from one shop to another. They were essentially window-shopping. They were not carrying any shopping bags with them. I noticed some of the teenagers wore nose-rings. Then there were the pairs of housewives who were chiefly concerned with price. They could be seen making enquiries about prices and bargaining for better ones. Couples, young and old, sat eating fast food and talking in low voices. At every other corner, there was a small stand and a young enthusiastic sales person trying hard to attract the attention of the shoppers to the amazing prowess of some innovative product. I thought they were getting a good deal of attention judging by the crowds that mulled about the stands. Banners proclaiming huge discounts swayed about from the ceiling of the centre. It was still fairly early in the morning for people to be shopping but then of course, it was the season of sales. All over the tiny town, huge shops were holding sales. Almost everything could be got at a bargain. During the current period of unemployment and retrenchment, the sale was probably what many had looked forward to. Only then could they afford to buy that branded pair of shoes or that glittering diamond bracelet that was at other times, priced well beyond the average man’s pocket. As I sat and waited, I noticed that there were a fair number of security officers walking about. In particular, they lingered about the stretch of jewelry shops further down the centre. The centre held many different shops selling varieties of products that ranged from household stuff to branded, designer goods to exclusive