A Trip to the Drugstore

I was sitting at the dinner table when one of my favorite residents asked the woman opposite of him at the table 'if she planned on becoming sick, any time soon?'

"What the hell is this about?" I asked kindly (me and this favorite kid around all the time).

"Walgreen's says that they will fill a printer cartridge for a computer printer for $10."

"And this makes it all clear how, exactly?" I asked at a slightly increased decibel.

"Mavis here gets her prescriptions from Walgreen's and if she is going to get sick and going down there anyway, I thought maybe she could find out about this printer thingie for me."

"Or you could call!" I suggested at the top of my voice with accompanying threatenting gestures.

"Well, I thought that if she could find out for me...."

"Give me the damn cartridge and I'll take it down to Walgreen's and get it exchanged." I offered as I moved over and took his napkin, formed a gag and wrapped it around his mouth, helpfully.

"But what if its over ten dollars? I need to be sure."

"Then you get back an empty cartridge, you old dummy."

(What I loved was, during this entire exchange, Mavis appeared not only ready to go to Walgreen's but was semingly weighing her sickness quotient and about to announce her 'nearness-to-sickness' possibilties. She was amused but ready to help, if possible.)

I followed him up to his room, got the cartridge and miracles of miracles, got the exchange for ten dollars.

He paid me the $10.90 and let me keep the dime. Nice guy, he is.