Henry was about to leave his office when he remembered that the woman had asked him to buy a kilo of bananas when he returned. After he got out, he saw a not very healthy old woman across the street. She sold fresh bananas.
Henry usually buys bananas at a food supermarket a few meters away, but since he was in a hurry to get home, he thought that today he would buy them from the old lady across the street. He went to the old woman and asked her about their price.
She told him that a pound of bananas cost seven dollars. He said: But the supermarket where I usually buy gives it to me for five dollars, can you give it to me at the same price? The old woman said: No sir, I can’t afford that price. I can give you six.
This is the best I can afford. Henry said: Leave nothing. He left in his car to the supermarket where he usually shopped. He went in, got some good bananas and went to the till to pay, but he was surprised when the employee told him that bananas cost ten dollars a kilo.
He said to the employee: I have been buying bananas here for years, and this time you raised the price without much thought. Can you give me a better deal as I am a regular customer of your supermarket?
The manager heard him, approached Henry: I’m sorry sir, but our prices are fixed, it can’t be discussed. At this moment, Henry felt very bad from the dry and firm answer that he took He went back to the old lady. She recognized him immediately and said: Sir, I can’t afford that price, I’m out with a loss.
He replied: Don’t worry about the price, I’ll pay you ten for a pound. Now give me two kilograms of bananas. The old lady was very happy, she packed them and said: I can’t take ten, they are too many, but I will take seven. I appreciate your courtesy.
Then she continued talking, apparently she hadn’t talked to anyone in a while: My husband had a small fruit shop but his health deteriorated. We have no children to support us. We had to sell the shop to cover his medical expenses but he still couldn’t make it and passed away.
Tears began to flow down your cheeks. She continued: Now to support myself, I try to sell as much as I can afford to buy, that way I am surviving for this part of my life that is left to me. Henry said to her: Don’t worry madam, you are doing the best and starting tomorrow, I will only buy your bananas here from you.
He took out his wallet and gave her an additional hundred, saying: Mary these, bring more different fruits tomorrow to sell, consider this as a down payment for the fruits I will buy from you in the future. You can earn more if you have different fruits to sell.
The old lady did not stop congratulating the gentleman. Later, he recommended them all his colleagues to buy the fruit from the old lady. And so they did.
With the support of Henry and all his other colleagues, the old woman was living better. Lesson: Often we choose to go to department stores and grocery stores to do our shopping.
We always pay their unchanging price without a word of discussion. That’s fair enough since we all have different choices, and as far as we go, they have their right to set whatever price they want.
Anyway, we have to stop for a moment and to think why we don’t have the courage to talk about the price in large markets that are economically strong, while at small sellers we always try to lower it as much as possible by shopping? Think smart.
Always be supportive and help anyone who works hard to earn a living. Think in the same way as Henry thought in this story who decided not to shop at the market anymore but went shopping to the old lady. Those who are on the road to sell need more.
