Satiricus was livid. Life just wasn’t fair. There were two sets of rules in this world, he fumed. And the rules that stuck it to you were always against the good guys. Smoke was almost coming out of his ears as he sat down at his appointed spot at the back table in the Back Street Bar.
“Wha’ raas wrang wid you today, budday??!!” asked Bungi as Satiricus downed his just delivered beer in one long swig.
“’E wife Caustic musse gyaam good!” chortled Cappo. “’E na clean up dem battam house afta Phagwah!!”
“So what is it, Sato?” asked Hari solicitously. “Spit it out before you choke!”
“Man how can the Government be so two faced!” he exclaimed. Everyone at the table swivelled to look at him with raised eyebrows. It was a case of “man bites dog”!
“You guvment TWO-FACE?” asked Bungi incredulously. “Ah wha’ happen in dis worl’?”
“Wha’ dem do dis time?” inquired Cappo, while he signalled vigorously for another round of beers.
“Well look how they insisted that Gwana Stores have to pay billions in taxes!” Satiricus said indignantly.
“But all businesses have to pay taxes,” said Hari placatingly.
“Well, how could they, after all the Mook did for them?!” said Satiricus. “And he helped them because he was friends with my leaders Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat.”
“When me bin a cut cane, dem mek me pay tax too, you know,” said Bungi, in a not too sympathetic tone.
“You’re not a business, Bungi,” said Satiricus. “There are different rules for them you know!”
“Na…me na know,” interjected Cappo. “Wha’ mek?”
“They create employment and so on,” said Satiricus heatedly.
“And they make ‘political investments,” said Hari slyly. “Like the Mook did in FUCOP – Fund for a United Opposition Candidate for President!”
“I don’t know about that,” replied Satiricus huffily. “Look how Hexxon don’t have to pay any taxes! Is that fair?”
“Well, ‘e gat lil political investment and big political investment,” Bungi pointed out. “The Mook a wan kakabelly when Hexxon de roun’!!”
They all drank to that.
