I met my mother at the designated spot and time. “You look good, Barry,” she said as we walked inside.
“So do you, Ma,” I replied. “And I’m on a budget here, so no drinks, appetizers, or desserts.”
She frowned. “I need an umbrella.”
“Because?”
We were quickly seated. “Because you’re raining on my parade.”
I shrugged. “Says the woman charging her son for information.”
She also shrugged as she took a seat. “Not charging so much as trading.”
“And the difference is?”
She smiled as she perused the menu. “Our rabbi wouldn’t approve of me charging.”
“So it’s a religious thing?”
She glanced up. “There’s that fresh thing again.”
I rolled my eyes. “I learned from the best, Ma.”
“Amen,” she said under her breath.
We ordered lunch. The waitress left us to our own devices. “Arthur Slade, M
