The market's location is nothing new, but a complex of shiny new structures now stands where thousands of vendors once spread their wares on the ground. The old dust, smells of rotting garbage and constant risk of theft have been replaced with cement walkways, running water, and two-story shop fronts equipped with bolting metal doors. The only thing missing from the new market is the hustle and bustle of days gone by. Most of the shiny bright stalls and shops still sit empty, since rent at the new market is extremely high. The vast patch of ground which used to be a solid mass of people now lays empty, surrounded by barbed wire.
People are hard-pressed to say just where all the vendors have gone.
One place that's filling fast is the sidewalk behind the butcher stalls. It's one of the cheaper market areas to rent, and the size is just sufficient to set up a sewing machine and display rack. She is thrilled, since the tailors who have already moved in are doing very well. Though it's been a very rough few months, Agnes is now enthusiastic about her future. She hopes to someday move into one of the second-floor shops at the market, where she'll be able to close her doors at night and keep her merchandise safe, rather than putting it in a common storeroom with other sidewalk vendors.