Awarawa

Humans will always be humans; the first impulsive negative character of a human being is to be selfish, I found myself in the market today, my random movement; I was on my way home from the gym and decided that the roads were free enough to get to the market myself. 

Walking through the different merchandise walkways reminded of why I was always satisfied after going to the market in those days. It was always a virtuous act for me; I got so much pleasure from walking past the big merchants and going to those starters and giving them a bit of hope.

It is always good to encourage someone who is starting up especially those young ladies, who were married off from the villages with the hope of a better life in the city only to find themselves suddenly on life’s surge.

Today, I admired all those sellers with big shops who would usually pack their goods and lock them up in the shop at the end of every market. But I didn’t stop, I went instead to a very young woman who said to me, “Fine aunty, I like your colour, please buy from me”, her shop was just a table with an over head to protect her and her little baby from the sun or the rain. 

I bought almost everything that I needed from her and she was exhilarated but some behaviour from her got me thinking. After I had bought quite a few things from her, I asked her to get me an item from her neighbour who was also sitting and calling for customers, her response was, “But aunty I have it na”. This was exactly why I said in the beginning that the first character of a human being is to be selfish. 

I said to her, “Yes my dear, I see that you have the item but I just want to patronise your friend and make her happy as well”. The two women appeared to be very close friends with the way they co-operated in their small spaces.  Her friend and market neighbour had five children between the ages of five and one all in her stall. She was quite happy and thankful for the patronage. It is always a good feeling to have someone smile because of you.

Then I met an old woman who is my friend, she sells vegetables, I sat down with her while she plucked my vegetables, we talked about life and I asked about her other children since I knew just one of them and she revealed some facts about herself that I never knew. She refused to accept any money from me and I also refused to accept not to pay her, I left the money that I gave to her on her wrapper and left. 

The tomato ladies laughed so hard when I told them that I wanted the damaged tomatoes, “Awarawa”  hahaha. The damaged tomatoes are cheaper and the sellers have their regular customers who buy just those tomatoes. “Aunty your type no dey buy these ones na”,

"Ah ah, I love damaged tomatoes na”. lol. They said I was their first customer and so I prayed for them to have a very good business, they joyfully echoed, Amen!

The young  Hausa man who sold the live chickens to me walked me all the way to my car, I should have taken his number, mscheew. The Market rocked today and I totally enjoyed myself. 

Did I mention that the chickens were smoked fresh at the market and the taste is off the hook.

By the way, there is an update on Katherine’s story which I will share tomorrow, the story gets more interesting.