Culture of Entitlement

"What a prick! He basically robbed all of us. Who racks up $45,000 worth of credit card bills?"

She wasn't paying attention to me so I raised my voice a little.

"Don't you care, Jess? These CEOs all think that they can do what they want. That they're not responsible to anyone. This culture of entitlement has to stop."

She picked up her styrofoam coffee cup and took a sip. She always tried to slow things down when I was hot under the collar. Women do that.

"Frank, why do you care? We're fine. The new Hummer arrives tomorrow. It'll be great to have a matching set. His and hers". She smiled happily. "The politicians will deal with this bastard. No use losing sleep over small change."

Really they're only pretending to calm things down. Women really like to push our buttons. I'm easily riled.

"It's taxpayers money! My money! This isn't the first time either. This is everywhere. The Liberals and their bullshit sponsorship programs in Quebec. Remember those children's aid execs driving around in SUVs and charging their gas bills to the government. I pay those bills." I was pacing up and down in the den. Thankfully we had a lot of room.

She yawned and tossed the empty coffee cup into the garbage bin beside the leather couch. More instigation. Didn't she care? She does but she can't agree with me. That would be too easy.

She stood up. "I need you to drive me to the corner store. I feel like a Coke," she announced.

"What? We have a million cans in the downstairs fridge. I still don't know why you're so casual with this institutional criminality."

She was already making for the front door and her hanging jacket. I wouldn't have much of a choice. And I couldn't give her my keys. That was my Hummer. You can't trust a woman with your vehicle, not even your beloved wife. She's always slamming my passenger door too hard. Imagine if she was driving.

"I want a bottle. Coke tastes different in plastic."

With the day's news still fresh in my head, but remaining trapped there without a suitable foil to vent to, we walked out in silence to the truck. It was cool and cloudy. We had to drive even if it was just a couple of hundred feet to the store. You never knew when it might rain. The weather was so erratic these days.

"Oh look," she said pointing across the wide, treeless street. "Beckie put up more Christmas decorations. Her house will be covered this Christmas. I'm jealous. We'll have to get some more. Later let's drive to Wal Mart."

I muttered something derogatory about Beckie and her Christmas decorations under my breath and opened the doors remotely. We got in and I started up the engine. We put our seatbelts on and I spent a few minutes searching the radio for news about that fucking CEO at Hydro One. It made me happy that they were raking him over the coals. He deserved nothing less.

Despite the seat warmers and leather interior, I was angry again. I slammed my foot down on the gas and we rolled out of the driveway like a tank. I'd be much happier when she got her new H3; I wouldn't have to drive her around any more. We had to leave so early now that I had to drop her at her work across town. The new Hummer was taking longer than we expected when we ordered it weeks ago. The dealership promised us that it would arrive tomorrow. They were lucky that they were the only Hummer dealership in Oakville. I was this close to taking my business to Guelph or Toronto. I deserve good service not delays; I'm paying enough. It's ruining my quality of life driving the wife everywhere.

We arrived in seconds and she got out and went in to the store. She slammed the door too hard. I grit my teeth. I'd told her a million times. This car is special. You can't just treat it like a Civic! Slam the door all you want in your Hummer Jess.

I waited with the engine on, still hunting for news of the latest developments. The news reports were all talking about climate change and wars in random countries that I'd heard of but knew precious little of. I kept scanning.

Why wasn't Roy Green on on the weekend? And there was no sign of Rex Murphy. He's a prick too put he'd lay in to that CEO in Cross Country Checkup. I'd have to tune in tomorrow.

The door opened and Jess got in with a plastic bag. She reached in and pulled out a bottle of water.

"I thought you said you were getting a Coke."

"I changed my mind."