Doin' Okay

Manny wanted to borrow money from me again, today.

"You know how I owe you $800, well, you see, my hairdresser won't cut my hair again until I pay him what I owe him, so can we make it an even thousand... that I owe you."

"No," I said.

Manny has insisted that he is doing okay, surviving on the dole, no need for him to go go back to work.

"But, you're not doing okay," I said. "You owe money to everyone you know."

"Only you and if I can't borrow money from a lover..."

"You told me last week that you owe Johnny $700. And how much do you owe Greg... how many thousand?"

"But Greg doesn't expect it back."

"Only because he knows he won't get it back."

Silence on the other end. I was getting a bit terse by now.

"And how much do you owe your mum?"

"But she doesn't expect it..."

"But you are still borrowing money from everyone to survive."

"Can you help me out with fifty then?"

"No, Manny."