Grostenquin France

"A-Hab the A-Rab"

The man standing at our front door had a large selection of tapestries, something "new" to us, fresh off the boat! The price was astromomical, but being so far from home and with the goods being so exotic, my parents thought it was acceptable to bargain. New at this, they bargained away. I was watching from the sidelines, especially intrigued by the carpet seller's glinting gold teeth. The price was going lower and lower. The man didn't look too happy. My mother suggested throwing in a couple of packs of "Players Plain". (As any novice smoking Brat will recall, they cost only 10 cents a pack, and there was hardly any chance that the occasional missing pack or two would ever be noticed!).

I digress.....With the the offer of the cigarettes, the deal was done! The man's face lit up, he smiled ecstatically, at which point I got a much better view of his dental work, and he said with resolve, "Beeznus is beeznus, madam!" And off he went. The carpet, now long gone, was one of the first features of our new home in France. And the interaction with the person who we knew then as "A-Hab the A-Rab" became part of our family folklore. I hope he is as happy today as he was when he left our house with the cash and the cigarettes. We can only hope.