Instead of responding, this man before me, bent his neck towards me. And seeing my gaze stared back at him with determination shone deep and true matching his own, he had little choice but to finally responded back to me.

  "Three bronze."

  "You are a shrewd man; one must learn the ways of the world with you. And because of that, because of the lesson you imparted upon me. I am increasing my pay even further–one bronze and two pennies."

  Hearing that, controlling and compressing his reaction as much as possible, and as long as possible, he once again responded back to me.

  "Two Bronze, and not a penny lower."

  Stating that the man stared at me with such decisiveness and finality it was as if this man was ready to go to war with me. And my eyes, with my body standing perfectly erect, beneath the shade of an iron sheet above my head, protecting and shielding my entire body, watched the man before me, because as much as this man wish to go to war with me. As soon as this dance began, and as more and more men and women began to violate and invade the market, increasing the chatter around us, this man before me, knew that because of the attention that he was gathering, his business was inches away from getting a target on its back, so to avoid that, he has to either move me away, or he had to surrender.

  And surrendering means to a man like him is like chopping off his own arm and giving it to me. He did not want to do that. He did not wish to do that. But as usual, he had little choice in that matter.

  "Fine-one bronze and two pennies."

  "That's good."

  Stating that, without counting, my fingers handed the coins to him. And after he collected and began to count the money, with both of his eyes widening, his gazing meeting mine, he once again questioned me.

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  "Why are you doing this?"

  "Do not be so concerned. I am paying the amount that we have agreed, one bronze and two pennies."

  "I get that, but what about the rest? Why are you paying me the rest?"

  Moving my head from one corner to another, I disagreed with the man.

  "I am not paying you, old man, this is a loan from me to your daughters-Anuran and Anara, buy them a wooden slate and some chalk from me. And when they are old enough, and when they earn enough, then, you can ask them to feed their uncle a healthy meal."

  After hearing those words, the man before me, gripping the coins that much tighter, shaking his head and muttering incorrigible words, without meeting my eye, using the support of the cane beside him, plucking the cleaver from his thigh, rose, and chopped, and handed that meat to me in a satchel.

  After those earthly matters concluded, it was time for me to ask the question that needed to be asked, because there was no use to mask this question anymore, so irrespective of the men and women that was beside me and behind me, my voice asked this question.

  "Where's my brother Salem?"

  Silence was all the man before me responded with. And that silence itself told a vast meaning. Because my younger brother is a habitual creature by nature, who follows the rigorous system that he had cultivated and established as soon as he reached six years old.

  And even though for the better part of four years my presence was not present in this valley, one thing I was positive about him was that no matter what happens, he will never break that system, so seeing his missing presence here made me slightly take pause, because when a boy like that breaks away and deviates from his routine, then that means there is something else going on. And it all but confirmed me that, when after my question was posed the man before me, instead of answering me choose to lower his gaze.

  Seeing this reaction. my thoughts began to race because I know this man ever since I inhaled my first breath twenty-four summers ago. And this reaction was far from normal, so, even after standing still for five more heartbeats, and still receiving not a single word of response from this man, those thoughts only escalated. And before I did something, that either of us, would not and could not retract from, my fingers itching for the hairband on my wrist, turning my back to him, marched forward into the hustle and bustle of the old market street, stating nothing more than few parting words.

  "See you around-Salem."

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