There was a block of shops only a few streets away and, as promised, they held everything she could imagine needing: foodstuffs, groceries, hardware and clothes, household appliances and bicycle parts. The buildings were tiny, with a single door, and the proprietor usually sitting on a chair on the sidewalk outside the store, where he or she could talk to everyone who went past, or maybe offer them a cup of tea. All the shopkeepers and local people were incredibly polite and helpful, and once again Cherry noticed there was never so much as a fallen leaf left lying in the street—someone with a broom would come along and ensure the environment remained permanently pristine. She liked that. She hated streets back home where there was trash everywhere. These people evidently had a lot of pride in their neighborhood, keeping it nice, and she loved that attitude. She also noticed many families out shopping—mother and father, maybe a grandparent or two, and one child. She looked closely, but to her it seemed there were a goodly number of girls, although probably still more boys.
