My neighbour Charlie had just got back in from a car service appointment when i ran into him yesterday. "Gosh , these things are so expensive. I mean,heck, that was like paying rent." , said Charlie with much feeling. "I got that car free alright but now i'm more than making up with the service charges . Ought to be a law i tell you". The car was a prize he'd won at a ''guess-what's-inside-the-food hamper-and-win-a-car" competition. (Nobody else ever stood a chance did they)
I clucked my sympathies. " Well , no such thing as a free lunch after all and all that . . . " , i said by way of consolation. At which Charlie began to hurry home. Lunch hour was nigh. Now , inflation may well be making meat and potatoes dearer but rest assured it's nowhere as dear as they are to Charlie's heart.
Then , evidently struck by an afterthought , Charlie turned around abruptly. " You know , it's not just the money", he said, " It's the language. They don't even speak our language anymore. Like , when the bloke was reading out the job list , i don't believe he was speaking English...". I expressed the belated hope that said person didn't confine himself to , say , Aramaic or Latin.
Oblivious to my remark , a puzzled looking Charlie continued : " I mean , this is what he said : ' $$ , $$ $$$$ $$ : $ 230 $$ $$$$ , $ 41 $$$$$ , $$$$$$$ $$$$ $$ $ 422 , $ 490 $$ $$$$$$$ , $$$ $ 272 $$$ $$$$$$. $$ ! $$$ $$$ $$$ ? $$ $$$ ! $$$$ $$ $45 : $$$$'$ $$ $$ $1,500.' "
