Shopping Mall

The stall which sold the special festive scents attracted the most people. It was filled from wall to wall with many kinds of aftershave and perfumes; specially flown in to cater to the Festive needs. There were rows of Joop, One Million and Dior which seemed to transform the stall into a frosty winter landscape with everyone spraying it when they grasped a chance. The smells of the scents enticed customers to come and grab a whiff of the luxurious scents.  Huge and luscious oranges hung invitingly from the many pots of mandarin plants, tempting customers with their promise of prosperity and good fortune. Even locally grown orchids, not usually a flower symbolic of Christmas, were scattered amongst the other varieties on display. They had bright and shocking red colours, a definite factor which prompted the stall owner to try and market them as ‘Festive flowers’.

Besides the stalls, there were other activities which attracted throngs of people to the mall. One of the biggest crowd pullers was the Elves’ dancing. The frenetic drumming and the graceful movements of the dancing elves transformed the mall into a sea of shifting colours. There were at least ten different elves roped in to make the display much more energetic and dynamic. They then involved the onlookers by shoving a red had on them and dragging them into the middle to join in with the performance.

The final of the celebrations at the mall was an explosive fireworks display that caused all the shoppers to stop in their tracks and stare fixedly at the mosaic of hues in the night sky above them. Many of the children covered their ears with their hands, while staring in rapt attention at the display as the deafening explosion of the fireworks boomed and bellowed continuously. As the colours from the fireworks slowly fade away, many of the weary people started to leave the mall. One by one, the stalls became empty and dark as the happy owners called it a day.