A Shopkeeper Serving Customers

In a quiet street of Balkanabat, there is a small but very popular shop. The shopkeeper, Gurban, opens the door every morning at seven o’clock. He sweeps the floor, arranges the fruits, vegetables, and fresh bread on the shelves, and prepares the cash register. The smell of warm çörek fills the air, inviting people to come inside.

Gurban enjoys his work because he likes meeting different people every day. He believes that a shop is not only a place to buy things but also a place where neighbors greet each other and share news.

The first customer of the morning is an elderly woman named Aijemal eje. She always buys tomatoes, cucumbers, and green tea.

“Good morning, oglum,” she says with a warm smile.

“Good morning, eje. How are you today?” Gurban replies kindly.

He helps her choose the freshest vegetables and carries her bag to the door.

“Sag bol, oglum. You always make shopping easy for me,” she says.

Soon after, schoolchildren enter the shop to buy snacks before class. They laugh, talk, and look for their favorite cookies. Gurban reminds them gently,

“One at a time, balalar. No pushing.”

They giggle and listen to him because they respect him.

Later in the morning, a young man comes in looking worried.

“Do you have batteries for a flashlight? Mine stopped working,” he asks.

“Yes, of course,” Gurban replies and quickly finds the item.

The man is relieved and says, “Thank you, you saved my day!”

Around noon, the shop becomes busier. People come to buy bread, milk, and fruit for lunch. Gurban works quickly but always with a calm smile. He believes that good service is as important as good products.

In the afternoon, he restocks the shelves, checks expiration dates, and cleans the counters. He also writes in his notebook which items are running low—apples, rice, and sunflower oil.

As the sun begins to set, the street becomes quiet again. Gurban closes the door, counts the daily earnings, and sits for a moment with a cup of tea. He thinks about the people he met—the smiling children, the grateful woman, the busy father.

He whispers to himself,

“A shop is small, but it carries a piece of the community inside it.”

Feeling content, he turns off the lights and walks home peacefully.

Vocabulary – Hekaýadaky käbir sözler

English	Pronunciation	Türkmençe
shopkeeper	/ˈʃɒpˌkiːpər/	dükkançy / kassier
customer	/ˈkʌstəmər/	müşderi
shelf	/ʃɛlf/	polka
cashier / cash register	/kæʃ ˈrɛdʒɪstər/	kassa
vegetable	/ˈvɛdʒtəbəl/	gök önümi
groceries	/ˈɡroʊsəriz/	iýmit harytlary
fresh	/frɛʃ/	täze
battery	/ˈbætəri/	batareýka
flashlight	/ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/	fonar
restock	/ˌriːˈstɒk/	täzeden doldurmak
expiration date	/ˌɛkspəˈreɪʃən deɪt/	möhleti / gutarýan güni
product	/ˈprɒdʌkt/	önüm
serve	/sɜːrv/	hyzmat etmek
customer service	/ˈkʌstəmər ˈsɜːrvɪs/	müşderi hyzmaty
quiet	/ˈkwaɪət/	ümsüm / sessiz
crowded	/ˈkraʊdɪd/	köpçülük
grateful	/ˈɡreɪtfəl/	minnetdar
neighbor	/ˈneɪbər/	goňşy
shelf life	/ʃɛlf laɪf/	saklanyş möhleti
purchase	/ˈpɜːrtʃəs/	satyn almak