She was ninety-one years old, and had persuaded me to go to Copiague, where I’d find a grocery store that offered her groceries at a discount. But I had a dentist appointment that morning, so I went to King Kullen, a nearby more pricey supermarket where I bought her equivalents of a quality she wasn’t used to. The bill came to $70.00
I knew she’d be upset at the unwanted price, so I purposely lost the receipt and told her it was $50.00 Then my wife, who had come to help me (after all, I’m eighty-five) said that a man had given us a coupon for $5.00 since he wasn’t able to meet the $50.00 minimum. There went $5.00 more, for a total of $45.00. The old lady tried to hide her anger, but she was definitely displeased.
How often have I been annoyed at the price I’ve had to pay for a gift from the ultimate giver. (Don’t ask who is the Ultimate Giver.) What will she say when someone goes with her to Copiague and she finds out she can’t get what I gave her for $45.00?
Civilization 