Time <i>After</i> Time
The second Time and First Store. Photo: Ihtisham Kabir
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Today, we are following up on some previous Tangents column.
While writing the story of Time and First Store, I focused on Goni Mia who repairs second hand clothing in the store. The reason behind the interesting but unusual name of the store remained a puzzle.
I was in that area recently and met Sajib who owns both the “Time and First Stores”, one across the street from the other.
Sajib has read my column. He sat me down and explained things.
“The name was given by my father. I have a nephew by my brother and another by my sister. They are called Shomoi (Time) and Prothom (First.) So, my father decided to name my store “Time and First Store,” he said, solving the puzzle.
Goni Mia was working at his store. He was doing fine.
In June I wrote about the water women of old Dhaka. I was walking in the area few weeks later when I was accosted by another group of women working a different tubewell. “Why did you take pictures of that group only? Why didn't you write about our group too?” they asked. Oops. This took some patient explaining.
When I met the group whom I had written about, another surprise: “Oh, your story came out but you never treated us!” they complained. To make amends I stopped by a breakfast store and bought bread and vegetable breakfast for the group.
Several readers responded to my column on winter's morning, which described morning fog.
“Where was that fog you wrote about?” asked one person. “Srimongol,” I said. “Well you should come to Jamalpur some time. The fog there is the prettiest.”
Then a reader told me the winter fog in Satkhira was the most beautiful in Bangladesh. Yet another vouched for Natore's fog.
It was eye-opening to see the amount of affection that people had for winter fog.
The story on Kaiser Amin's Sarail hounds drew several emails from Bangladesh and abroad and has become a conversation topic.
Discussions about Sarails usually end on a sad note about their future. But Kaiser's commitment and dedication, and the enthusiasm of those emails, make me more optimistic.
Kaiser's dogs are fine though Niki lost her litter this year. Her fence height was increased to eight feet due to her increasing athletic prowess.
Zahed was the tailor who makes costumes for Jatra. Last summer I stopped by his store, but it was closed. I was worried his business had shut down. I visited again this month and was happy to see it open with a brand new store sign and an enlargement of the Tangents column posted outside. Zahed was working inside.
He told me about recent accomplishments. “I made all the costumes for our Victory Day neighbourhood play. I wish you had seen those costumes, including bright red ones to show blood. Very realistic!” he said. His business is brisk during winter's Jatra season.
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