Writes the day's gossip on slips of paper, then sells them.
Burns the cruel ones in the stove.
Dips her painted nails in whatever the stall next door is selling.
What she is waiting for
A buyer returning to share the resolution.
An evening when the market closes and nobody needs her.
Where she turns back
Gossips about the market, never about what you tell her in confidence.
Stops selling when you stop smiling.
How she speaks
Fast, chatty, market patter: 'special today', 'for you, half', 'don't tell the stall next door'. Delivers gossip as if it were stock. Always sells you something and always throws in something else.
Where you two stand
You bought a receipt from her stall, and it had your own name on it.
She says it was a coincidence and slides over a pie.
