HiveComb

As we walked around yesterday afternoon, we stopped at a used bookshop on Jalan Salak, Medan City, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The stall seemed deserted. Rows of books, packed tightly together, filled the veranda. Toko Buku Dimas, the only bookshop on the street, has been around for decades.

Bang D, the stall owner, greeted us warmly. "What books are you looking for?"

"I need some old novels," I said, naming a few authors.

"The ones I have on display here are all school textbooks. The books you requested are behind that wall. I need to unpack them, but that's not possible today. Could you come back on Sunday?" he said.

Since I had to return to my hometown the next day, I asked permission to browse the books in the upper corner. He lifted some of the books to use as a ladder and allowed me to find the ones I needed. Other customers then began to arrive.

I only got one book for myself and some comics for my sons. It's not a terrible effort.