Arturo meant to try to sell this specimen in that way.

If he got the money, he would give it to tia Marta.
Tia Mama was Arturo's aunt.

"Tia" means "aunt" in Spanish.
Presumably for the reason that nephews are sometimes troublesome to their aunts, there is a Spanish proverb that warns a nephew against making his aunt too frequent visits: En casa de tia, Mas no cads dia:' ("In the house of thy aunt, But not every day.") Notwithstanding this adage, however, the boy Arturo lived with his Aunt Marta.

This was not always pleasant, for neither Arturo nor tia Marta was perfect.

Yet they really thought a good deal of each other.