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North Warren Central High School

The Store




Whenever I go to New York, I always visit one of my favorite grocery stores.
I'm referring to one of the many small, ethnic Indian stores in Flushing, Queens.

As I walk into the store, my nose is bombarded with smells. I smell jasmine
and musk as I walk by the incense next to the register. As I pass the spices, I
become aware of the pungent smells of cinnamon, coriandor, cardoman, curry,
and hundreds of others I can never identify.

I finally find the shelf that contains my sought after prize. Snack mix. This snack
mix however is like none other. It is filled with nuts, raisins, several different
crunchy, fried breads, and an array of Indian spices. Sometimes the bags have
no English at all written on them. I take four or five bags, walk to the register,
peer at the desserts under the glass, and pay for the prize. Sometimes I will grab
a stick of incense or a dessert, but usually I leave with just my mix and all the amazing
smells and the ever-present undertone of musk in my nose and memory.



by G.H.