First chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros: The Limits of the World by Jennifer Acker

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.

I am kind of sad that my previous post of It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Didn't encourage any comments :( so almost done with At Least Know This and will begin I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan soon. 

Here is the read next in line after I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan. Enjoy!

The Limits of the World by Jennifer Acker

Part I 

1. 

Urmila rearranged the animals. They were homely, unwelcoming; no one was buying. Should she group them by type: elephants next to rhinos next to giraffes? 

All morning, only two customers came into the shop. The first peered, scowled in confusion, then left. The second was a girl with hair stuck together in clumps, wanting to buy a dashiki. 

"You want to dress like a man? Wait until Halloween," Urmila said. 

"Seriously?" The girls stood defiantly on short, thick legs. 

"You tell me there is anything else you like. I can find you a nice dress," Urmila offered, putting on a smile. 

But the girl walked out, and Urmila was left with the animals. 

Two-inch heels, slacks, and a striped sweater had seemed smart when she'd dressed in her dim bedroom, but now Urmila felt exposed like one of her zebras, alone on the plains. Then, with an arrow of hope, she remembered the latest shipment from Habari Exports, still in boxes in the back. Soapstone candlesticks were her best seller. 

The messy taping was the first bad sign: the careless tightly wound crisscrosses. There were scissors near the register, but Urmila was already on the floor, so she ripped off the recalcitrant tape with her hands, even her teeth. Pulled out the loosely balled newspaper, heart sinking. The candlesticks were cracked, everyone one of them! Some snapped in half, others chipped. The soft stone's pretty rose colors wrecked by black faults. 

This was not the first broken shipment. She bit her thumb, strangling a furious cry. How close to the margin she already was.