Daniel and Alice Frost had been happily married for five years. Both in their mid thirties, they worked for the same company as auditors. They had led sheltered lives, and all their friends and colleagues thought that they were a friendly couple, but a little naive. It came as much of a surprise then, when the couple booked a holiday experience to North Africa. Danny felt that two weeks under the African, sun combined with the colour, hustle and bustle of the Tunisian markets would be an experience that would live with them for a long time.
Once at their holiday destination, the couple were first content to just laze around in the sun, drink cocktails and sample the exotic foods of a new country. During the first week they rarely left their resort, preferring to sample the benefits of the expensive hotel and enjoy the entertainment that was provided. It was not until the second week that Alice found she needed a further distraction.
"I'd like to go shopping in the Bazaar, Danny." she said whilst lazing around the glittering hotel pool. "Don't you think it's about time we got out of the resort for a day?"
Danny sighed but reluctantly agreed. He knew that it was inevitable that his wife would want to shop at some stage in their vacation. They decided that the following day would be a good time to go, but Danny insisted on taking along a local guide with them. He had heard stories of tourists getting lost in the "Souks", the local word for the country's bazaar markets.
The following morning, Abdul, their guide, was waiting for them in the hotel reception. Alice had decided to wear a colourful wrap-around dress that was light enough for her to be able to stand the high temperature of the market. Her dark suntan accentuated by her long blonde hair. Danny wore a simple tee-shirt with light, summer trousers. Both were now looking forward to their expedition. Abdul drove them in his battered old car through the narrow, crowded streets. It was his responsibility to look after the tourists and to haggle on their behalf with the local traders. However, in reality, he had already planned which shops and stalls to take them to and knew that he would receive a handsome commission from the traders on top of his standard fee for the guided tour. As the car continued to rattle through the cobbled and mud streets, Alice was becoming more and more excited. The heady aromas of exotic foods and spices filled the car through the open windows as they drove. She watched the locals dressed in colourful Kaftans as they went about their daily business and heard the chanting from the many Mosques. She marvelled at the differences between here and her home town.
"What you like to buy first, please?" shouted Abdul in broken English, trying to make himself heard over the rattle of the decrepit engine.
"Um, I need some shoes and a bag really," replied Alice.
"And we want to buy some wood carvings, too." yelled Danny.
"Okay. It is no problem. We go to good shop for you to buy!"
Abdul finally pulled his car over into a side street and the couple, with some relief, clambered out.
"We go here," said Abdul, pointing down a long, crowded thoroughfare. "Is good shops here!"
Alice and Danny held hands tightly as they were led through a labyrinth of alley ways and covered stalls. They realised, with a certain trepidation, that after several minutes, they would now be totally unable to find their way out. Every direction they looked they could see only more of the same covered stalls. Eventually, Abdul led them to the front of a shop. Danny thought it looked more like a tarpaulin thrown over a couple of wooden poles than a shop, but Alice was obviously impressed by the array of shoes and other leather goods that the trader had to offer, so they stopped to look.
"Can you ask him how much these are?" Alice asked Abdul, indicating an elegant pair of leather shoes she had chosen.
Abdul sprang into immediate action. He and the trader began to exchange words that became seemingly more heated as the haggling continued. Both men used graphic body language and arm movements in an attempt to get their point across. Alice noticed that the trader kept looking at her, almost inspecting her. A little uneasy, she just put it down to the fact that he probably didn't get to see too many blondes. The argument between the two men seemed to be intensifying and no closer to a conclusion. Danny noticed that a small crowd of men, all in Kaftan dress, were now congregating around them. All of a sudden the argument seemed to finish and Abdul turned to Alice.