An awkward moment

So I drop in to the closest corner store that is right beside Deker on the way back from work in the mid-afternoon one day this week. The owner's daughter who looks to be about 7 or 8 is running the cash. I grab something and when ready to pay, the girls points to the back of the store where her mother is kneeling praying and tells me to wait since she does not know how much to charge me. I wait a few minutes then the praying still is going on. I leave and realize I will have to come back later.

I am back in there today to get water, and ask the owner (whose friend translates for me) if that happens again can I come back and pay for what I take and she said "of course". Neat the way that worked out. The translator told me "oyh, and these is so much praying on Friday" :). I have noticed that when I go to merkato at noon, half the stores are closed as many of the proprietors are Muslim and they are closed for prayer.

As well, there are guys who peddle disposable mats to kneel on in merkato ... disposable in that they are cardboard and after use, the same vendor scurries around merkato picking up the abandoned mats to re-sell tomorrow. I love the way things (most not all, but close to all :)) are done around here ...