Soppu Soppu ... Soppu - (fresh greens seller's call)

This was the call that greeted us early in the morning. The sounds of the morning were usually like clock work as were the smells emanating from the kitchen. You could set your clock by the knock on the door by the milkman or from the smell of fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen.
Among the numerous street sounds, the most entertaining were the ones from the vegetable and fruit sellers as they pushed their barrows laden with fresh seasonal produce. Each vied with the other in how creative they were at calling out their wares, a tomato was described to be as tasty as an apple and became "apple tomato", an orange was usually qualified with its place of origin ( Nagpur santra ), a mango by its variety ( raspuri, alphonso) and so on....
The humble fresh greens were somehow denied all the sing song. It usually arrived in front of our house in a big basket tied to the back of a cycle along with the cries of "Soppu Soppu bekaa ma Soppu". There was certainly variety in the greens but they did not merit being described or given any major importance.
My mom's preferred seller was "Hanmanthu" a young boy who she thought gave her the best deal among everyone else. She would be deep inside her kitchen preparing breakfast, lunch and the innumerable "doses" of coffee that was a morning ritual, but the mere sound of his call would wake her out of her routine. Immediately she would rush to the front door and call out to him. Hanmanthu would wheel his unsteady cycle over to our doorstep with great skill. Never once have I seen that basket fall, no matter how bumpy the streets are with its numerous potholes.
The usual banter would commence, with my mom asking him to add another bunch of coriander for the same price and he complaining about the cost of greens going up and how everything was expensive... It would be the same exchange day after day with neither tiring of it but rather enjoying it. My mom would inevitably feel that she gained the upperhand in this bargain and would return back to her cooking with a very satisfied look. We saw this same routine year after year, watched the kid Hanmanthu grow up from a young 12 year old boy to a man, all the while supplying my mom with fresh greens everyday.
I never once gave a second thought to the many varieties that he peddled ( dantina soppu, sapsige, ondelaga, palak, basale) . When I left home & wandered to another continent where there were no soppu sellers but huge supermarkets with shelf after shelf of stale greens that I had never seen or eaten, I realized that Hanmanthu's fresh greens were a luxury that I had taken for granted. He was someone I rarely gave a second thought to as I went thru my childhood. These sellers are becoming rare on the streets of my hometown as the large supermarkets are taking over. Probably the next generation will no longer wake up to the sounds of "tarkari ma tarkari" "Soppu beka ma Soppu". Atleast I hope they will continue to eat fresh greens everyday....