This statement tells us that the baker was a very respected person in the Goan society because he would guide the children about good behaviour (when he mildly rebuked them for peeping into his basket) and giving respect to the elders (when he wished 'Good Morning to the lady of the house) etc. He was very informal with the children and so the author considered him a friend and companion. He was not simply a vendor interested in selling what he made. A party or feast is said to lose its charm without bread. Cakes and bolinhas were a must for Christmas and other festivals. Presence of the baker's furnace in the village was absolutely essential. Thus, he was an important character in the Goan society of those days.