Place
Palmer's Market
Palmer's Market is the grocery store on Main Street in downtown Maruf, founded by the Palmer family. On the first day the kid buys Frank Dawson's milk and newspaper there, from the head cashier, Peggy Evans.
Description
The building
A one-storey red brick store with a flat grey roof and a parapet, about 28 by 24 m, at the back of its corner lot. A large GROCERY sign of raised letters stands over the single glass entrance, between big shop windows, with a green-and-white striped awning and produce crates along the sidewalk in front. On the roof sit air-conditioning units and two skylights; a delivery truck backs up to a loading dock on the east side.
In front is the parking lot: 21 marked spaces in three rows, with planted islands at the row ends.
Inside
Long aisles of shelves run front to back under hanging aisle signs. Drinks and dairy fridges with glass doors line the back wall, with a produce corner, open fridges and freezer chests near the middle, and a bakery or deli counter at the back. A deli clerk works the deli counter, and shoppers fill the aisles.
People
Linda Carter shops here in the afternoons and trades town news with her friend Peggy. Peggy has Frank Dawson's daily milk for Tank ready as soon as she sees someone from School Street come in.
In the game
The kid takes a gallon of milk from the dairy fridge and a newspaper from the rack, and pays at Peggy's counter:
Milk and the paper. That's three twenty-eight, hon.