Hedging one's bets....

Mekon mumbled something incomprehensible at me this morning. His sister, who has yet to become a sullen teenager, spoke for him.

"Mekon says he has to do a week's work experience, and can he come to your pharmacy to do it please?"

"He said please?"

"This is interpretation, not translation."

"Yes, well may I remind you, Mekon, that a great deal of pharmacy life is spent dealing with difficult customers. Many of them are ill, deaf and/or downright offensive. Much as I'd love to say exactly what I think to half of them, I have to bite my tongue very firmly, smile and be polite."

"Wjggy? Fvkgnn bkdrrz!" he said.

I looked at my daughter for help.

"He says 'why'. He said other things too, but mostly why."

"Because a)I have to empathise with people who are unwell, b)I'm an adult, and c)Head Office would sack me otherwise."

"Bllkks. I chnnf fffkn plldg too!"

"Mekon, you're rude, you have no filters, you're incomprehensible unless you want to insult someone, you swear more than Gordon Ramsey, you have zero patience and I really couldn't trust you not to answer back to the abusive patients."

"Dijjzz mehjdj I'm fkgnnfh hhrtfgd?"

"Of course you're hired," I said. "When can you start?"