MAPUSA: Nikel Cruz, 70, sits at her stall at the Mapusa market every day, selling salt fish and dry shrimp or sungta caught from the manos in Raia, where she originally hails from. For the past four decades, she has been a fixture in this market, attracting customers from all walks of life. Despite the challenges she has faced over the years, Nikel has always worn a winning smile and exuded a positive attitude that has made her a beloved figure among her customers.
Life has never been easy for Nikel, however. Born into poverty, she began working in a mine at the tender age of ten, earning a meagre wage of 50 paisa, that was later raised to one rupee a day. The pangs of hunger drove her to take on this difficult job with her mother. She married at a young age and had four children, but her alcoholic husband was unable to contribute to the family’s income. With young children to look after all by herself, working at the mine was no longer an option, and so, Nikel started selling fish at the Margao market.
To help her family out, Nikel’s mother began travelling to the Mapusa market to sell dried prawns.
After her husband passed away, Nikel decided to focus on selling seafood in the more lucrative
Mapusa market, and moved the family to Bardez, where her mother was. She recalls that when she began, her prawns were sold for Rs 1 per pod.
With six mouths to feed, Nikel’s life has always been one of deprivation and sacrifice- she would walk from Aldona to Mapusa with her dry fish every day to save on transportation and use the money for her children instead.
“I never had a proper meal, because I didn’t have the money to spare. I would sustain myself on a cup of black tea and a piece of bread, and I still do the same now,” she shrugs.
Despite her struggles, Nikel remains positive and prayerful. She never forgets to attend Mass before starting her business day. Her customers come from all communities and call her Modom or godmother, a sign of their respect and affection for her. “They keep coming back to me as I bless them, and pray for their health and happiness.
My weights and measures are always accurate, and nobody can complain about the quality of my fish,” she quips.
Nikel has always been polite and honest, making her popular amongst the wholesalers as well. “When I didn’t have the money, the wholesalers would give me fish and prawns on credit, and I would pay them the next day after selling my wares,” she says.
Nowadays, the market has changed, and the competition from migrants is fierce. “The market has become very crowded and noisy now, and there are frequent quarrels, which were unheard of, before,” says Nikel, adding that she does not have the strength to fight however, and greets every provocation with a simple smile.
Despite her age, she continues to travel to Raia once a week to get the local shrimps and buys her salt fish from Betul. Her clients know that they can rely on her to deliver quality products and fair prices. Nikel may have problems counting money, but she has a friend in the neighborhood who helps her out. Over the years, she has also managed to buy a plot of land with her hard-earned money.
“My simple prayer is not for wealth, but for good health and daily bread. Even though I have children, I do not want to burden them, and would like to support myself and continue selling my dry fish here as long as my feeble legs can carry me,” she signs off.
