Chapter Sixteen

At the bank, Richard said to a colleague that it seemed like women had to be at least told about that a man's business is a man's thing to do if aren't to start fancying other men and being infidels. His colleague didn't agree. Instead he told him that he was being prejudice, and that women are 'exactly like us', he said.

Richard got annoyed.

Later, at lunch, he asked asked a female colleague why she and other women seemed to be into men as if they were to be paying for everything.

But her answer wasn't at all what he wanted or expected:

ـِـ My, you seem to be from the eighteen hundreds!

He thought for a while before saying:

ـِـ I feel that you don't know why I feel that you're doing it!

She looked very indignant.

ـِـ So, you think I should have to listen to that crap of yours!?

Startled over this he tried another strategy:

ـِـ You don't know me! How can you be into saying that kind of thing about a man you don't know?!

She examined him carefully.

ـِـ I can't believe you're honest enough for me to be talking to! But I'll be honest enough to tell you that I'm into none-pretension about what men are like! And that you can take your pretension and shove it up yours!

He sighed at this. Now he examined her back.

ـِـ How can you pretend to know me when you don't even know my wife? Or perhaps you do know her!? Perhaps it's you that she's been talking to when she had it all men are womanizers except those who actually are?! ... Or are you only into pretending that you know either me or even my family!?

She looked at him.

ـِـ Well, I'm not into saying anything about men, she retorted carefully. I'm into, she continued, having it men and women are all alike!

He sighed, more deeply this time.

ـِـ I don't know why you feel that we are bastards then in first place.

She looked at him, scornfully.

ـِـ I still haven't said they are all bastards. It's just that the man standing before me clearly is one!

At length he asked:

ـِـ Which men are not, then, according to you?!

ـِـ Well, let's see, our boss isn't, for one. Then, also, my father isn't. Thirdly my husband isn't!

He looked at her while saying:

ـِـ Don't they all seem to be men of authority over you?! ... Now tell me what they have in common if not that!?

Now she looked a bit startled.

ـِـ They're unlike you; that's why they're alike!

He sighed and studied her.

ـِـ What have I done to you, he asked after while.

ـِـ Firstly, you've pretended I want your company in the first place. Secondly you seem to pretend our boss and then my husband and even my father are bad because they're authorities. Thirdly you've been into me as if I was a pretentious girl and not a woman to be looked at as a person, and not just what your kind of man pretend women are!

Nonplussed by this he drew another deep sigh. After a while he retorted:

ـِـ It really does seem that you say this only because I'm not authority enough for you!

She looked at him scornfully again. But she said nothing, just finished eating. He too finished his lunch without saying anything more.