I cannot remember her name

2nd February 2018

She can’t be more than 12 or 13 years old and we can only imagine what her life must really be like and I am ashamed that I can’t even remember her name because I bet she can remember mine.

She makes bead necklaces and sells them for 10 Indian Rupees (about 11 pence) each and even at that rate she is expecting to have to negotiate.

She stands on a street corner in the wealthy district of New Delhi, near the posh hotels which charge the equivalent of 50 necklaces for a simple continental breakfast.

She caught our attention when we passed her as we went for a stroll and we said we’d stop by on the way back. She defiantly ordered us not buy from anyone else.

I doubt that we were her only customers today. She has stock, a nice smile and she is tenacious in closing each and every sale. We can hope that she is able to benefit personally from her obvious talent but can speculate that her efforts mostly go toward supporting others.

And yet, even though lucky enough to be able to afford that continental breakfast in that posh hotel, being in charge of a selling organisation I cannot but be a little jealous of her selling skills. She could teach us a thing or two.

Vincent van Walt, New Delhi, February 2018