At 4:30 p.m., it was snack time. Outside Sheila Mann’s school, a man stood by a wooden tray filled with soft sesame bagels, carefully splitting them open with his hands to add a filling of zaatar or sumac. Since the bagels were cheap, the quality of the zaatar was often low. But when Sheila convinced him to use sumac—ah, that was the best!
A little further up the street, another vendor sold pickled red turnips in small saucers. People would eat the turnips and then drink the tangy brine straight from the dish, often asking for just a little more at the end.
Across the street stood Sheila’s grandfather’s grocery store, a familiar and beloved place where the scent of spices, sweets, and preserved goods filled the air.
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