The Marketplace Fables

Simon was a 23-year-old man, who carried big rich dreams in his heart, though he was currently drowning in poverty. If anyone asked him what he did for a living, he always proudly answered: "I am a street vendor". This term meant that Simon sold rat poison, cellphone airtime and cigarettes on the street pavements of the Central Business District, commonly referred to as the CBD. For him to get to his place of work, every day Simon would walk 7 kilometres from his home to the CBD, and then another 7km from the CBD to his home. To manage the wear and tear of his shoes due to the long daily walks, Simon wore a pair of sandals whose sole was made from the rubber of a haulage truck tyre which never wore out. When he was 13 years old,   Simon was forced to drop out of school after both, his parents passed away in quick succession, and his grandmother with whom he stayed with then in the rural areas was unable to pay his school fees. For four years he diligently worked as a ...