re: #24 researchok

I shall take that as a compliment.

But of course. At least I don’t get bored.

This whole thing about keeping secrets in tight-knit communities reminded me of a story from back in my taxi driving days (I’ll use fake names):

This one Arab driver was pleading with his American Muslim wife on the phone—he was clearly in trouble and trying to worm his way out of it. Upon placating her as best he could, he walks over the the cab line where all the taxis are parked and starts shouting & gesturing at a friend of his, “Marwan! MARWAAAN!! Ta’al! (Come here!) %$#@!#*!”

He’s pacing back & forth, muttering & cursing under his breath. The rest of us are sitting around *blinking*, wondering WTF?

“What’s wrong?” someone finally asks.

“What’s wrong? What’s WRONG?? I’ll tell you what’s wrong!”, he says. “I told Marwan something about an hour ago, and I specifically told him not to tell anyone. He swore he wouldn’t. So what happens? He tells his wife! As soon as they hang up, his wife calls my wife and tells her everything! WTF? He knows they’re friends, but he thinks his wife’s not gonna call mine and tell her? So my wife knows before I even get home, and now she’s calling me all pissed off! I am SO screwed, *&^%$#!

Right about then poor Marwan shows up, and based on the look on his face he has a pretty good idea what happened. His arrival, of course, was followed by a lavish display of bi-lingual melodramatic shouting, arm-waving, and moaning about the dire consequences one faces when one’s wife is pissed off. Marwan, sheepish & red-faced, could do little but apologize profusely and promise never to make the same mistake again. It was a hoot for those of us not directly affected.

So nobody in this tight-knit Haredi community is gonna know? Puhleeze. //