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Words


StarMountainKid

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Thought I'd re-post this old story of mine. Old is new if you haven't read it, right?  :) 

Words
 
At work that day, when the boss accused me wrongly of doing something I had not done, I couldn’t say anything. I just nodded in agreement and walked away. My allotment of words had almost run out, and the few I had left I was saving for any emergency that might crop up at home.
 
You see, that morning I had discovered the wife had spent some of the household money on some little extravagance for herself, and I had thoughtlessly admonished her, using too many sentences in scorn. That was why I had to keep quiet all day at work and say nothing to the boss in my defense.
 
As the day worn on and my temper heightened at the unjust treatment I had received, I considered telling the boss off anyway. But that would have used all my words, and my Counter would probably have gone into the red. That would mean I would have to pay double the price for the debit words I would have used, and at my wage grade I could hardly have afforded that. So I kept silent.
 
When I returned home the wife had few words left herself, gossip that she is, so no argument ensued. The evening passed and the next day and the next quietly, and finally it was a Free-From-Work Day.
 
That morning I had thought of borrowing from the Dialog Office, but later I thought better of it. It was no use going into speech debt, as Allotment Day was only three days away. Then I would tell the wife what I thought of her and her lavish spending, alright.
 
I had read once that there had been free speech sometime in our past history. It was difficult for me to imagine that state of affairs. How awkward it must have been in those times. How could one organize one’s thoughts succinctly and concisely if one were free to speak endlessly on any subject that came to mind? Conversation must have been utter chaos.
 
How lucky we now are to have Counters to abridge and therefore efficiently organize our spoken opinions. I admit the system has its drawbacks, but its benefits surely outweigh them. In fact, not being able to reprimand my boss’s poor judgment was an example of the advantage of our vocal restrictions laws. Soon I would be up for a minor promotion, which my boss would have to approve, so my forced silence at his scolding was in the end a good thing.
 
With promotion would come a larger Allotment, most of which I would surely use in reprimanding the wife in no uncertain terms for her too-liberal spending habits. Just now she comes into the room and purposely gives me a spiteful look. I ignore her and smile to myself in anticipation of my soon to be increased Allotment, and that sweet future moment of retaliation, and keep my mouth shut.
 
Edited by StarMountainKid
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