Less than 20 Questions with a Neighborhood Kid

We decided to walk to the store today for a few groceries and fabric dye (a little project I am working on). We cut down a neighborhood street to avoid a less scenic main street when we are met by three kids selling art. The group is made up of a young girl, a talkative boy and an older girl, who is the artist of the group. The boy runs up to us first and starts firing questions.

1) Do you want to buy a picture from our friend? She's from New York and she's an artist.
We show interest as Daniel checks to see if he has any cash on him.
2) You want your name, a flower, something else?
Ummmm, we can't really decided at this point. They show us samples of the art and we just look at each other. Clearly the kids are going to have to take matters into their own hands to keep this sale moving along.
3) How about your names in a heart...with an arrow through it?
We agree.
4) You all married?
We confirm this.
5) Where's your rings?
Neither Daniel nor I wear our rings with any frequency, some might call it not at all. So we just start laughing and our talker keeps on going.
6) Were you afraid of losing them?
7) Did they hurt?
Daniel decides this was the reason he doesn't wear his.
8) Why did you all get the skinny ones?
Daniel tells the kid he was thinking about getting a tattoo of a ring instead, so it won't get lost and won't be tight around his finger.
9) Won't that hurt?
At this point, the artist palms the head of the talker and pulls back and says he's asked too many questions. We agree on coming back after our trip to the store to collect the finished product and pay our fee.


Upon return the little girl runs towards us with both the sample art and our finished product. The paper is flapping in her hands and, with the humidity, has become a bit soggy - but still a fine piece of art for 50 cents. We hand the runner $1 and she runs back to basecamp and turns the money over to the artist. As we walk towards the others on our way back home, our little talker isn't as pleased...

10) Why didn't you give us $3?
11) Can you give us $3?
12) How about $20?
We relent and give the group $2, thinking $1 for the artist and $1 to split amongst the talker (now deemed the negotiator) and the runner. The runner takes the $1 and pockets it.
13) How am I going to get my money from the $1?
We leave them to figure that one out.