Of course she was selling a few other things as well but she had to do it quietly. The Government Meat Inspectors prowled around. It was a health thing. Only registered farmers could sell meat – and that to a registered slaughter house. It wouldn’t be right for every Tom, Dick, and Harriet to sell diseased meat to the public. That was why Valencia simply stood at her stall with pencil and paper and took down names and phone numbers. Word got around where one could purchase a duck for cooking.
And here comes a meat inspector. He’s going to prod and poke around. “Are you taking names to sell unprocessed duck carcases illegally?”
“I sell duck eggs,” said Valencia, and she wasn’t lying.
“I heard that you sell other stuff as well – such as ducks for cooking. My wife wants two ducks and that’s an order.”
“I’m sure something can be done,” said Valencia. “Just give me your phone number.”
And that explains why Valencia no longer has a stall at the market on Saturdays. Without a source of income she’s finding it difficult to pay off the rather hefty fine.
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