Conversations-4

Boss, what’s this parcel you’ve brought in?

Me: Food, buddy.

Yummy.

Me: Hang on. Not yours. Mine.

What do you mean?

Me: It is my food. Leftovers from Swagat.

Swagat on Ruwi Street?

Me: Yup.

That down market South Indian restaurant?

Me: Enough of this down market nonsense. What’s your problem?

Boss, I never seen you bring leftovers from Swagat in the past… That’s why…

Me: Did you read this morning papers?

Nope.

Me: Instead of scratching your s-c-r-o …. Sorry!

Go ahead. You seem to be in a foul mood.

Me: I am entitled to.

Why this frustration?

Me: Bloody inflation has gone up by 7 per cent as of September in Oman.

Oh! You’re talking about the Ministry of National Economy stats released.

Me: How do you know?

Boss! I am net savvy and you know that. I checked out the Ministry website.

Me: Jesus!

The website says that the annual inflation in Oman has touched a 16-year high in September. It’s in November, we are informed about what it was in September!

Me: It takes time to compile data, Mate! I’m sure you would have read in the same story that the food prices have shot up by 14%.

Boss, hang on. The net is on. Lemme, read it out for you… Haan … “In Oman, food, beverage and tobacco prices, which account for almost a third of the index, rose 14% year on year in September, while rents climbed 7.9%.”

Me: What was inflation like the previous month?

You mean, in the month of August?

Me: Yeah.

Jus’ a minute … 6.47%

Me: My blood boils when I pay bill at the counters – be it at Lulu or Swagat.

Relax, Boss!

Me: What’s awful is Monica Malik’s predictions.

For Godssake, who’s Monica? And what is her predi… Whatever?

Me: She is an economist with EFG-Hemmes, an Egyptian investment bank in Dubai. She says – wait a minute, I have the news clippings in my trousers – Haan.. Here it is… She says, “That’s a huge jump in food prices and I don’t see it coming down much with continued Dollar weakness.” My foot!

Once again the Dollar story, na?

Me: There is a limit to everything.

Boss, did you hear Hugo Chavez’s predictions on Dollar?

Me: You mean the Venezuelan President?

Yep.

Me: What did he say?

He says, “Soon we wil not talk about Dollars because it is falling in value and the empire of the dollar is crashing”.

Me: You believe him, dumbo?

How does it matter, Boss? Nobody is happy with Dollar, but has no guts to delink.

Me: Who wants to anger the US? Nobody.

Listen to what Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisa lsaid last week at the Riyadh summit: “We should not mention the dollar because that would only endanger it more and aids its collapse”.

Me: Okay. Please dump this half-eaten idli and a few crumbs of masala dosa into the fridge. I will eat it when I am hungry.

Boss, what about this five teaspoonful sambar you’ve brought in a polythene? Keep it or throw it?

Me: Are you mad? Why did I bring home if I want it to be thrown? Put it in the fridge, dammit! Everything costs a lot these days!

Boss, did you see this advertisement?

Me: No. Read it out.

Some Keraliya Samaj is organizing a free lunch programme for the poor at the Krishna temple past noon today.

Me: Thanks, Mate. You take care of the house. Lemme go.

More to come….