The next afternoon, I walked through the bazaar, casually looking at things I had no intention of buying. To my surprise, I was greeted by my friend, the shopkeeper. “Oh, sir, please, please come in as you promised,” he said. I checked my watch and saw I had only half an hour to spare, so I agreed to go to his shop A Visit to the Shop .
Back in the Shop
Once again, I was offered coffee and cigarettes. The items I had previously shown interest in were neatly arranged on one side. I immediately rejected several items, saying I wouldn’t even accept them for free. Then we went through the remaining items again.
The Final Deal
After some time, I finally selected the exact items I wanted: rare embroideries, bowls, a sword, and a cast. He said the total price was thirty-eight lira, but I had only planned to spend ten lira. I told him I wouldn’t go higher than ten City Tour Istanbul.
The shopkeeper quickly picked out some things he would sell me for ten lira. I rejected these as well, saying they weren’t what I wanted. He then insisted that he had never been so willing to make a sacrifice. He told me he liked English gentlemen and thought they were much nicer than men from other countries. He claimed he had grown fond of me and didn’t want me to regret not buying these items when I left. He asked when I was leaving, and I told him in two days.
Rushing to Leave
At that moment, I remembered I had an appointment and was already running late. I quickly stood up and said I couldn’t make any purchases today. I told him I might stop by again, but his prices were too high. “There’s no point in coming to my hotel,” I said. “I’m going out for dinner.”
I said goodbye but asked him to keep the items aside in case I returned later.
