Thomas was the shopkeeper of the farm who always wore a three-piece suit.

After the counter tops were polished and the jars were on display, he was left with little worry as things were mainly done for the day.
The hours passed peacefully, perfumed by tobacco and lavender and soap. Then he would doze off in memory, cherished by his crooked wooden chair, blissfully in the shade of an old prickly pear.