Friends and Strangers

I collect watches and have my favourite haunts for me to look for watches to buy. I don't just buy new watches but also old, second hand watches. Why I buy them, well I am collector of sorts, and the same time what I had bought I had not sold any... I don't think I would want to sell any of them yet.

I had been doing this for a while and have a hefty collection, let's just say that I can put on a watch a day for the next few months.

That aside... I have this neighbour who has a peculiar habit whenever we meet or gather. His eyes would be on my wrist and on several occassions would insist on having a closer look of the watch I have on. And on several occassion he'd remarked that he would want to buy exactly what I have. To this very day he behaves the same way.

Now fast forward a bit... on many occassions he would insists on knowing where I bought my watches, well one place is e-bay, the other is at mudah.my, then of course there are several shops that I frequent too.

These shops that I frequent, the owners have become friends, as not only I bought from them, I sent some watches for servicing to them, and also on days that I am free I would just drop by and 'talk shop' with them, along the way we are friends rather than just customer-vendors.

It brings me a bit of benefit where I can get discounts on watches that other walk-in customers won't get... and this is where it gets interesting.

This neighbour of mine, upon knowing the shops that I go to, would go to them and along the way throw my name around and insisting or expecting to get the same discount that I enjoy.

Recently I happen to visit the shop and the taukey friend told me about it and I asked did my neighbour get the same discount? His response was, of course not, coz the neighbour was not a friend....

Speed of trust?



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