Seller / sucker
All over the world they can be seen, older women sitting in their small outdoor market stalls. Some radiate engaging charm, some exude a beaten-down resignation born from waiting day after day for the small sales of inexpensive items that will mean food on the table that night.
To my shame, I have haggled with some of them over pennies—rather than being seen as a sucker.
During my time in Thailand and the Philippines I did usually feel like a sucker. I just never could do the bargaining my (now) husband was so good at. Lots of sticks of expensive (yup) gum that I bought and did not chew. He was always happy to talk um down while I cringed and left the area. A cowardly sucker at that.
Why oh why did I haggle w/vendors so they wouldn’t think I was a sucker while traveling. What difference would it have made. They needed the few extra coins far more than I.