MUSINGS OF THE ‘MIGRANT’ SHOPS

By Sara Lohse

Sara Lohse
6b Spenser Road
SE24 0NR
 MUSINGS OF THE ‘MIGRANT’ SHOPS - CHARACTERS

K.M MEAT SHOP

K.M is a small, nervous shop, specialising in the sale of halal
meat.
K.M has recently been bought by a new, young owner, and is
struggling to come to terms with the abandonment by his previous
owner of 30 years. K.M is sensitive and easily wound-up by his
best mate, A.K Halal.

A.K HALAL
K.M Meat Shop’s best friend. Likes to tease K.M. Has been guilty
of starting a rumour or two on Electric Avenue.

AMIR
Amir is a 26 year old from Afghanistan, he has recently taken
ownership of K.M Meat Shop, and is one of the youngest shop owners
in Electric Avenue. He has big plans for the shops future, but
also respects the shop’s past.

KAYODE
The previous owner of K.M Meat Shop. The Nigerian first came to
Electric Avenue in 1978, where he set up his butchers - K.M Meat
Shop. After many years hard work, Kayode has finally retired.
Despite this, his former colleague and right hand man still works
in the shop. All of Kayode’s former staff were kept on by Amir.

ABDUL’S FRUIT & VEG

Abdul’s is a green grocers specialising in Caribbean foods. Abdul
himself no longer physically works at the shop; having established
a comfortable lifestyle for himself, Abdul and his family have
moved out of London and are living their best life in rural
Suffolk. Abdul employs someone else to manage and run his shop.

GLORY GLAMOUR
Glory Glamour is a shop specialising in beauty products. She is a
friend of everyone in the street, always ready to compliment her
friends and lift the mood on rainy days in Electric Avenue.

DESMOND (DES)
Des is the manager of Abduls. He is 36, and has worked at Abdul’s
for eight years. He grew up in Brixton, but has Jamaican roots.

DAILY FRESH FISH & MEAT

Despite her trading name, Daily Fresh Fish & Meat is a vegan. She
feels very uncomfortable in her meaty, fishy skin, and hates that
she constantly smells of the things she hates the most in life.
She is envious of the numerous green grocers that line Electric
Avenue. She is worried about the demise of the high street, and is
incredibly wary of Greggs, whom she sees as a threat to the
street.
GREGGS
Greggs Electric Avenue is one of many of the UK bakery giant,
Greggs. He loves to tease Daily Fresh Fish & Meat for her sales of
meat and fish, questioning her vegan values. He sees himself as a
rightful presence in the street, and does not consider the
existence of chain shops as an issue or a threat to the culture of
Electric Avenue.
 MUSINGS OF THE ‘MIGRANT’ SHOPS

FADE IN:

EXT. 25 ELECTRIC AVENUE SW9 8JP - 7.00am

A gentle rain falls onto the pavement of a relatively empty
Electric Avenue. It rained heavily last night - most of the
traders and shop keepers are yet to arrive. Rain drops echo on the
roofs of the few delivery vans that have managed to make their way
to the street.

A lone market trader has begun setting up in the middle of the

street. Metal scrapes on concrete as the trader quickly assembles
his apparatus. He takes a tarpaulin sheet out of a large blue Ikea
bag, and makes his make-shift rain shelter. The sound of rain
drops are amplified as they bounce off of the plastic and onto the
stone pavement.

30 second pass.

A mustard yellow delivery van pulls in to the street. It comes to

a slow stop across from number 25.

The noise of the van awakes K.M Meat and A.K Halal. Two friends/
neighbouring shops situated towards the east end of Electric
Avenue.

K.M Meat Shop

‘Amir?! Is that you? Have you come to open me up for the day?’

Silence.

A.K Halal
‘You know it’s raining today, K.M.’

K.M Meat Shop

‘Thought my canopy was feeling a bit heavy this morning!
…
Amir will be running on rainy day time then…’

A.K Halal
‘Doesn’t like the wet mornings does he, your Amir.’

K.M Meat Shop

‘Mm… could be the traffic.’
 A.K Halal
‘Traffic was never an issue when Kayode owned you.

K.M Meat Shop

[Almost inaudible, ashamed]
’Well Kayode left me, didn’t he’

A.K Halal
‘Oh, Please don’t get upset again! Kayode only sold you so he
could retire - He was too old to be getting up at 5.30 every
morning to open up a shop!’

K.M Meat Shop

‘Yeah… I guess… as long as he is happy.
But oh! I do miss him.
…
Do you think he misses me?’

A.K Halal
‘Yes! Of course he does, mate. You guys were together for 30 years
- he wont be forgetting you any time soon, trust.’

K.M Meat Shop

[Smiling slightly, mood lightening]
’Thanks, pal. I suppose Amir isn’t too bad. You know sales of
chicken feet have doubled since he took over!’

A.K Halal
‘Wow, that is impressive. Really.’
…
‘I have to say, I’m glad Amir got rid of that smoked cat fish that
used to hang from your ceiling - you used to fucking stink,
mate.’

K.M Meat Shop

[Offended]
’WHAT?!
You could have said something?!
30 years of me smelling bad, and you said NOTHING?!’
[five seconds silence between the two. K.M grumpy, sulking]
‘I thought you were meant to be my best mate?’

A.K Halal
‘OI calm down! I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d overreact -
just like you are now! Not like you could have done anything about
it anyway…’

K.M Meat Shop

[Sulking more]
‘Anything else your’e not telling me?’
 A.K Halal
[Smug]
’Well… seeing as you asked… Word on the avenue is that Amir is
thinking of changing your name to ‘Amir’s Meat’.’

K.M Meat Shop

[Confused]
’You what? I don’t believe you’
[Worried]
‘Stop taking the piss.’

A.K Halal
‘I’m actually not though!
… How have you not heard? The WHOLE of Electric Avenue is talking
about it, mate.’

K.M falls silent, in shock.

EXT. 43 ELECTRIC AVENUE SW9 8JP - 12:45pm

The morning’s rain has cleared to reveal a crisp blue sky. Sun
spills into the open facade of Abdul’s Fruit & Veg.
It’s busy - both inside the shop, and on the shop’s overspill onto
the street. A box of large zutano avocados was delivered this
morning, and customers are fighting each other for the bargain of
the day.

Glory Glamour, a shop specialising in beauty products, notices the

commotion surrounding Abdul’s Fruit & Veg.

Glory Glamour
‘Well someone’s popular today.’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘Ugh, I knoooooow. I was hoping for a quiet one today - can’t bear
the idea of all these people looking at me, when I am looking so
shit.’

Glory Glamour
‘Don’t worry babe - the rain last night got most of the dirt off
your sign.’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

[Melodramatic]
’Ugh. It’s not the sign - it’s my CANOPY!
How have you not noticed it? It’s actually a joke.’
 Glory Glamour
‘Oh STOP. You look fine - the fittest Caribbean food specialist in
Electric Avenue’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘That’s easy for YOU to say. You’re a beauty shop!’

Glory Glamour
[Flirty]
’Exactly. I know what looks good.’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘Whatever. You don’t know what it’s like having an owner who
doesn’t live locally… Abdul is never around - doesn’t even come
down on a Saturday anymore!’

Glory Glamour
‘Look, if Abdul didn’t care about you, he’d have sold you to
someone else…
[Whispering]
Just look what happened to K.M!
But Abdul still OWNS you - his name is on your facade for christ’s
sake!’
…
‘What’s wrong with Desmond? I thought you liked having him as the
manager?’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘Yeah, I dunno. He’s been stocking some weird shit recently.

Glory Glamour
‘Oh yeah - like what?’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘Well… Since K.M got his new young owner, chicken feet sales have
sky-rocketed! So Des thought that he’d get in on the trend, and so
he went and bought 10 kilos of chicken feet from him brother in
Peckham… you know, the one that has the butchers on Rye Lane?
…
Anyway… Chicken feet sales haven’t exactly taken off here at
Abdul's. Shock.
…
In fact, I think we threw away more than we managed sell.’

Glory Glamour
‘LOL. What’s he thinking trying to sell chicken feet in a green
grocers?! What do you do with chicken feet anyway?’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘Hmm… soup? maybe?
 Anyway, it’s not just the chicken feet… I just wish that Des was
more efficient with the way the shop is laid out.’

Glory Glamour
‘What do you mean?’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘Well… I’ve got this aisle at the back that no one has been down
since 2003. Literally. I think Des should get rid of it and sublet
the space to one of those phone screen repair places.’

Glory Glamour
‘What - sublet?
[lowers voice]
Is that legal?’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘I mean… I’m not sure if the council have officially OK’ed it -
but look at Nour Cash and Carry, it’s done wonders for their
business.’

Glory Glamour
[Knowingly]
’To be fair… the amount of iPhones I see getting smashed on that
pavement…’

A young woman walks into the shop. She grabs at the few remaining
zutano avocados, accidentally puncturing an overly-ripe one with
her finger nail. She then puts the abused avocado back, and
reaches for another.

Abduls’ Fruit & Veg

[Shocked]
’Did you see that! Oh, if only Abdul knew…’

The young woman leaves the avocados and continues to browse items
in the rest of the shop. She gets to the back of the shop and
wrinkles her nose at the odd selection of tinned and dried foods
in the aisle. She picks up some Encona Hot Pepper Sauce, and makes
her way over to the til, where Des is just finishing with another
customer.

Des begins to serve the young woman. There is nothing to scan.

Having worked at the shop for eight years, Des knows the prices
for all of Abdul’s products by heart. He loudly types the price of
each item into the til.

Des
‘That’ll be £8.12 please, madam.’

Young Woman
‘Do you take MasterCard… AmEx?’
 Des
‘Err… no. Cash only I’m afraid.’

Young Woman
‘Oh bollocks - I’m gonna have to come back later, sorry.’

The young woman leaves Abdul’s, flustered. She quickly heads

towards the nearest cash point, located in Brixton Village.’

Abdul’s Fruit & Veg

‘What an amateur.’

Glory Glamour
‘Typical.’

INT. 16 ELECTRIC AVENUE, SW9 8JX - 6:50PM

It’s coming towards the end of the trading day - Daily Fresh Fish
& Meat is only open for another ten minutes.

The shop is a mess, the employees begin to clean up after another

busy day’s trade. A strong and unpleasant smell of not so fresh
fish dominates the air. Traces of blood and fish innards can be
seen all over the metal work surface and tiled floor.

Everything in the shop has a red-pinkish hue. The faded red shop
canopy, exterior, and sign. The glowing pink of the raw meat, the
pastel pink of the prawns, the squid, the Red Trout.

The scene opens to the harsh metallic sound of metal on metal, as

the shop keeper chops up some meat for the last customer of the
day.

Customer
‘I best get some fish as well. My daughter come from school the
other day - say she don’t wanna eat meat no more! Bloody
difficult.’

Fish Monger
[Sighs heavily]
’Your daughter ain’t the first one.
Over last couple o’ years I’ve noticed less and less people coming
to the meat shops in this street. We’re just not selling as much
of it anymore.
[Mocking]
‘Cos everyone’s suddenly vegetarian now, innit.’
 Customer
‘Well at least she’s still eating fish! If she comes home tomorrow
and says she’s not eating fish either… she’ll have to cook her own
dinners then.’

The smell of fish intensifies as customer and fish monger walk

towards the fish end of the shop.

Fish Monger
‘What will it be then?’

Customer
‘Hmm… I’ll take a couple mackerel.’

Fish Monger
‘D’you want them gutted and cleaned?’

Customer
‘Please.’

The Fish Monger takes two Mackerel, swiftly slicing each open.
This is followed by the sound of fish guts splattering on to the
metal work surface.

The customer pays, takes her meat and her fish, and exits the
scene. The shutters on the shop get half lowered, to signify the
end of the day. The shop glows red as the harsh interior light
reflects the colour of the red shutters and the red walls.

Outside, the sound of metal cages can be heard moving along the
paving stones. Market stalls pack up and shop shutters close.

Back inside the shop, the smell of old fish and meat gets stronger
and more pungent, as the fish mongers begin to discard any
unsellable product.

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

[Gags and coughs]
‘I can’t… take it… anymore…
THE SMELL!’

Greggs
‘LOL. Lucky you’re a fish and meat shop, innit.’

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

[Irritated, snappy]
’Can you just fuck off please, Greggs. You KNOW I’m vegan.’

Greggs
‘Worst vegan I ever seen.’
 Daily Fresh Fish & Meat
‘We’re shops, Greggs! We can’t choose what gets sold in us - that
is, and always will be, the prerogative of our owners.
…

[Mocking]
I guess you wouldn’t understand, being a chain and all that.’

Greggs
‘Here we go… been wondering when you were gonna bring up the whole
chain thing again.
[Proud]
Just face it - I am loved across the nation.
You know in Newcastle, they even do table service at Greggs.’

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

‘Yeah well we’re not in Newcastle, we’re in Electric Avenue, and
there’s no place for chains here.’

Greggs
[Coughs in sarcastic arrogant manner]
‘Well clearly… there is room.’

Five-second cold silence between the two characters.

Greggs
‘What is your problem with me exactly?’
…
‘Is it all the shit I give you for claiming to be vegan?’
…
‘Look i’m sorry - but you have to admit, it IS funny that your’e
vegan, and yet you ONLY sell fish and meat. There’s not a single
vegan thing inside you!’

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

[Sighs, exhausted]
‘No, no it’s not that. Well, it is, but it’s not just that…
It’s… I’m just cautious about chains, OK?
Chains have been ruining British highstreets for decades!
My cousin… she used to be a Thai supermarket in Lewisham - had
been for 25 years! and then… one day… they turned her into a
Tesco.
Oh, it was so savage! Completely destroyed her interior layout,
she’s completely and utterly unrecognisable now.’
…
[Daily Fresh Fish & Meat bows her head to hide the tears that have
begun to well in her canopy]

Greggs
[Loud sigh]
‘That does sound pretty brutal to be fair’
 Daily Fresh Fish & Meat
[Sassy]
‘Mmm-hmm.’
[Cold]
‘That’s basically what Iceland on the corner did. I just can’t
bear the thought of Electric Avenue turning into another UK
highstreet cemetery!’

Greggs
‘Alriiiiight, I get your concern…
BUT IM GREGGS! Who doesn’t like Greggs? Cheapest sausage roll in
the land.’

Daily Fresh
[Giggles slightly, tentative]
‘I suppose… maybe if you did Linda McCartney sausage rolls.’

The fish mongers pour buckets of water over the tiled floor,
chatting to eat other in a rapid Turkish.

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

‘Ohhh. I wish I could speak Turkish. Then maybe I could persuade
them to go meat free and to convert to the greengrocer life!’

Greggs
‘Even if you could speak Turkish… you’d still be a shop!
I didn’t choose to be a Greggs for fuck’s sake! It’s like you said
- it ain’t up to us, is it.’

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

[Whiney]
‘Hmph, whatever.’

Greggs
‘If there’s one thing Electric Avenue doesn’t need, it’s ANOTHER
greengrocer. Have you not seen Danny’s Greengrocers lately?
They’ve been dropping their prices soooo much, it’s EMBARRASSING.’

Daily Fresh Fish & Meat

‘Hey - leave Danny’s alone. It’s hard for him because Brixton
Market always undercut’s him.’

Greggs
‘Yeah - exactly. You’re better off being a fish and meat shop.
Trust me.’

The scene jumps to the exterior of number 16.

The daily evening street clean is well underway.
An orange light flashes, intermittently illuminating Daily Fresh
Fish & Meat’s facade - which is flashing red to orange, red to
orange, red to orange.
Litter accumulates in the centre of the street, waiting to be
collected by men with ‘Lambeth Council’ plastered on the back of
their high-vis jackets.

The ‘migrant’ shops close their shutters on Electric Avenue, and

go to bed.

FADE OUT.