Market Day

When I was young, I loved market days for two reasons one is that I will get my self something new mainly threads and occasionally teddies and dolls and other colourful stuff, the other, I was the sole decision maker on what stuff to buy with my weekly savings from allowances.

Market day was on Saturday, my friends and I would get ready for the day and so we made sure that by 2 pm we were totally free- no pending house hold chores and definitely no baby sitting, too bad for you if you were left with the baby- market day was a no go zone for toddlers, they were unwanted distractions as they will slow us down when hopping from one stand to the next.  Can’t concentrate on shopping for good threads when one eye had to be on the baby and the other on the threads- good threads would pass you by and the possibilities of buying some thread with a missing button or some tear etc were high.

Fast forward… Took my kids with me to the market this weekend baby gal was so excited, there she was she preparing herself, counting her money, added up to 250/- put it in her small purse, got her shopping bag and off we were. Got to the market and we made a deal that I first buy my stuff then we buy her stuff. It was not easy shopping with Mr. Chidi trying to balance him and avoiding his small fingers from spilling the veggies and fruits is no easy task, I somehow manage. So finally am done its Cas time to shop, we head to the stall where they sell dolls and accessories, I ask her if she wants help in selecting and she says she can manage on her own, so I sit with Chidi on my lap and watch her select her doll clothes, turns them inside out, check the buttons, zips, tears or any imperfections, keeps the good ones aside and tosses the bad ones back. After about ten minutes she is done, she brings her merchandise to me and they are only four pieces all dresses 2 pinks and 2 flowery. I ask her why she four from the big pile and she says that those are the only ones she liked…hands up, it’s her choice and am not to interfere. She pays the lady 200/- and off we go, her carrying her shopping but the look of excitement on her face… can’t wait to get home to try them on her dolls  brings back old memories my Saturday shopping sprees with my friends.