Will you take a quarter for that?

It's fun to remember good times. Hopefully the older we get we will have a lot more to look back on. I look back at the typical Saturday morning for us growing up. Now there was the possibility of one of two things happening. Sometimes both depending on the time frame. This is how it would go. We would be up at the crack of dawn to watch cartoons hoping that Dad would be the first one up.  Mama got a little upset with us if we were up early on Saturday when she had to fight with us all week to get up and  get ready for school. We just could not seem to get up and get moving during the week but like clock work out of bed before 7 on Saturday morning. We had to watch our Bugs Bunny and Scooby Doo.
      Once Mom and Dad were up and moving around Mama or Dad  would usually make breakfast.  Then the plans for the day would be made.  It was either work outside with Dad or hopefully head to the flea market. The flea market was a good day out as a family.
      Mom would hand out allowance so that we had money to shop. Her words were if you spend it all don't come to me and ask for more.  Spend it wisely. A valuable life lesson.  So as we would make our way down the many aisles of the flea market we did a lot of looking but not a lot of buying. I can still remember occasionally mom would see something that would make her stop and turn to one of us. She would tell someone to go and see how much they were asking for the item.  We would give her the price and her answer was always the same "see if he will take a quarter for it".  At the time it felt wrong like I'm going against an adult what if he gets mad and calls me a cheapskate or maybe it had sentimental value and I'm insulting him. Yeah, I know the things that run through a child's mind. Sometimes she got her bargain of the day and sometimes not. It was a crap shoot. She said you never know unless you ask.
       My mama knew how to hang onto a dollar. I wished she would have drilled that into my head a little more. She did all she could to save money. She taught me how to haggle and never settle on a price. Every time I save a few bucks on something I can still hear her voice. " See if they will take a quarter for it".  I see myself becoming more like her as I get older.  She has been gone going on 11 years and that voice in my ear is as clear as any day she uttered those words. Hey mister will you take a quarter for that ?