Back in town on a hot, sunny morning. As Sindhu mama stayed on the farm yesterday to attend a pooja performed by Nana, I escorted Nani to the market and helped her attend to customers at the stall they've maintained for nearly 50 years. Nani was once a fixture in the Sigatoka market but had to stop last year for health reasons. Still, Indians and Indigenous Fijians alike stopped throughout the day to pay their respects when they saw her, referring to her as 'Mami' or 'Nani' and asking questions about her welfare. I, on the other hand, startled most customers when helping them with purchases of freshly picked chillies, kerela, bagan, bora, capsicum or corriander. A typical exchange:
"How much?"
"One dollar."
"Is this yours?" asked stiffly and with great suspicion.
"No," I'd say while pointing to Nani in her chair.
"Oh, oh, ok, ok, I'll take it."
The only white people in the market are tourists who visit Sigatoka via shuttles from nearby Coral Coast resorts. The stares I received as a merchant were not surprising but were more than compensated by terrific smiles and shouts of 'Bula!' from beautiful Fijian kids passing by with their moms.
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