He saw me and followed me to sell his bell hangings, thinking I was a foreigner started selling in broken English. "Mam 2 for 150 Rs only" , "Mam please buy it is my first sell for the day"
I deny him by hand as I make my way walking from park to home and he follows me.
Few steps and he realizes probably I am not a foreigner and switches to Hindi and the moment I respond in Gujarati saying "I do not want but here you could keep the 10 Rs" he switched to Gujarati - our mother tongue. Smart chap he was not more than 10-12 years of age.
He swiftly replied "we don't take free money but believe in hard work and hard earned money" I was impressed by his diligence to work hard to earn and perseverance to make a sell. As I responded with friendly smile, each in our brains having different thoughts me about how persistent and honest hard working can one be and he thinking someone friendly responded and that that connection should not be let loose, he comes down from 150 Rs for 2 to 75 Rs for 2. To which also I gently refused.
But his persistence of saying that he would not want to take free Rs 10 offered and believes in hard work and that this was his first sell of the day , so I said "I would not want the bells as I have enough but what all do you have to sell" , he mentions that this is all he has and would give away 2 for 75 Rs.
I later asked him "Don't you have such small wooden elephants which were also part of the bell string as loose products to sell" " I could buy one piece for 20 Rs", to which he was fast to say , "Didi, (sister) I can break this bell and you can just have this elephant piece" I reiterated that I would pay 20 Rs for that to which he was like in 20 rs we don't even get it at our place and he could sell me one at Rs 30 and he would go and remake this bell with other wooden elephant piece ..
Usually I do not like breaking things or destructing things, so I am insisting not to break the bell just for that piece but he also reiterates that its ok and he would remake that one at home.
The smart boy now thinking that he's convinced me sufficiently he gears up to break the bell and separate the elephant piece from the bell string before I change my mind and his fast mind gauging that he had to make quick sell breaks the bell and hands over the wooden elephant piece as swiftly he could. As I say I had told on 20 Rs he hackles and reiterates that it would cost me 30 Rs.
As I give him 30 Rs and take the wooden elephant appreciating his presence of mind and persistence internally , both of us had a smile on our faces...His was one of victory and smartness of how he could quickly sell and achieve what he wanted to and so was on mine .. me thinking that how education ( formal) was really redundant at times and learning on the go , street smartness can be acquired at any corner if hardwork and being present in the moment is applied every waking minute.
So it is. Such is life.. Learning every waking minute. Being present in the moment every waking minute
