MATALAM, North Cotabato – Every Monday is market day in our hometown. On these days vendors, young and old, come to display their trade wares like “ukay-ukay” , agricultural products, and fruits.
After having my “pastil” breakfast, which is never complete without the native “pamogon” coffee and a few slices of mango, I move around to look for my other favorite native delicacy called “tapay” . Quite surprising to me, the old woman offered me a bargain of only P50 for three piles of mangoes. I did not ask for it. It has never been my habit to ask for bargain from lowly vendors whose small income from the sales would all go to rice brought home to the family.
The man had returned to take the mangoes he bought, but to the old woman vendor’s surprise, the same man returned after slightly more than 30 minutes complaining that the old woman did not give him the best piles of mangoes. He was eating in a nearby carenderia and had the mangoes peeled off and sliced for fruit dessert.
“Why do you want to interfere? You have nothing to do with this. It’s none of your business,” the man, who is a little huskier than me, confronts me as if he is ready to slug it out with me.