“I’ve no time to listen to gossip, and no chance to hear any in this out-of-the way corner. But my brother the sweetmeat vendor sometimes sells to the Palace, so he knows everything that goes on.”
“If you want all the news, you’ll have to speak to my brother, the sweetmeat vendor.”
“My brother may hand out free samples, but I’ve got a family to support. FIRST you buy. THEN you eat.”
“Has the sun addled your brain? It will do that if you’re not used to it. The chickpeas you bought are right in front of you.”
“They’re very filling. You should first eat up what you’ve got.”
“An excellent choice!”
She takes your money and sets out a paper cone filled with spiced chickpeas.
“Don’t forget your chickpeas!”
“The spiced chickpeas are especially tasty today. Just one dirham!”
“Oh, that’s from my brother’s stall, isn’t it? If there’s something the matter with it, you’ll have to take it up with him.”
“Are you saying you don’t want them after all? I can’t take them back now that we’ve both handled them. Maybe you can give them to a beggar.”
