Odd Circumstances
Chapter Two
Half an hour later, we were parked across from a football field. Some high schools were playing a game, and the shouts from some over enthusiastic parents were almost deafening, even at this distance.
“They’re fucking mad,” Jackie said. “It’ll only ever be one or two of those kids who ever make it big time in the sport. I don’t even know why they fucking bother at this stage.”
“But it’s about more than that,” I said, trying to use the same enthusiasm the parents down at the field would. “It’s about them representing their school and their team, and them enjoying acting like manly men.”
“Somehow, I doubt they'd take kindly to the sarcasm in your voice, young man,” she said with mock sternness.
“Okay, ma’am,” I said.
“What do you do, anyway?” Jackie said. “I mean, when you’re pretending to be at work when your grandparents are around.”
“Usually I just slip into the next town and drive around for a while,” I said. “Either that or I hire out a motel room somewhere, get a few movies and hang loose for a night or two.”
“And your grandparents are totally oblivious to the fact that you own property?”
“Oh, no; they know I own property. They just don’t know I own anywhere near as much as I do.” I paused for a moment and added, “You’ve met them. You know that if they knew, they’d be demanding a beach house somewhere.”
“And yet, you’re still totally willing to scam them out of eight hundred dollars,” Jackie said.
“You scammed them,” I replied. “I just cashed the cheque on your behalf. There’s a difference. Besides, they’ll be dead in a few years anyway; it’s not like it could ever conceivably matter.”
“What’s the difference between me scamming money out of them and you lying your ass off to them?”
“The difference is that if they decide to charge me for corruption or something, I have a reasonable defence. You don’t.”
“You’re way too young to have gotten rich off the property market by yourself,” Jackie said.
“That’s exactly why I lie to them. They’re under the impression my dad sold off a lot of his properties in the years leading up to his death, because that’s what he wanted them to think because otherwise they’d try to carve a claim into what’s mine.”
“But they’re not even his parents!”
“And that’s going to stop them, isn’t it?” I paused for a moment, and then continued. “Besides, this way I don’t ever have to do any kind of manual work if I don’t want to. Why work when you don't have to?"
“True,” said Jackie. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”
And that’s what we did.
“They’re fucking mad,” Jackie said. “It’ll only ever be one or two of those kids who ever make it big time in the sport. I don’t even know why they fucking bother at this stage.”
“But it’s about more than that,” I said, trying to use the same enthusiasm the parents down at the field would. “It’s about them representing their school and their team, and them enjoying acting like manly men.”
“Somehow, I doubt they'd take kindly to the sarcasm in your voice, young man,” she said with mock sternness.
“Okay, ma’am,” I said.
“What do you do, anyway?” Jackie said. “I mean, when you’re pretending to be at work when your grandparents are around.”
“Usually I just slip into the next town and drive around for a while,” I said. “Either that or I hire out a motel room somewhere, get a few movies and hang loose for a night or two.”
“And your grandparents are totally oblivious to the fact that you own property?”
“Oh, no; they know I own property. They just don’t know I own anywhere near as much as I do.” I paused for a moment and added, “You’ve met them. You know that if they knew, they’d be demanding a beach house somewhere.”
“And yet, you’re still totally willing to scam them out of eight hundred dollars,” Jackie said.
“You scammed them,” I replied. “I just cashed the cheque on your behalf. There’s a difference. Besides, they’ll be dead in a few years anyway; it’s not like it could ever conceivably matter.”
“What’s the difference between me scamming money out of them and you lying your ass off to them?”
“The difference is that if they decide to charge me for corruption or something, I have a reasonable defence. You don’t.”
“You’re way too young to have gotten rich off the property market by yourself,” Jackie said.
“That’s exactly why I lie to them. They’re under the impression my dad sold off a lot of his properties in the years leading up to his death, because that’s what he wanted them to think because otherwise they’d try to carve a claim into what’s mine.”
“But they’re not even his parents!”
“And that’s going to stop them, isn’t it?” I paused for a moment, and then continued. “Besides, this way I don’t ever have to do any kind of manual work if I don’t want to. Why work when you don't have to?"
“True,” said Jackie. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”
And that’s what we did.