MOTHER-IN-LAW

George and an unnamed friend are enjoying a drink in a bar. The friend tells George that his mother-in-law is an absolute angel. Just then, Sammy joins the conversation to say that the man is lucky as his mother-in-law is still alive. Sammy is drunk.

George and his friend are at a wine bar. They are drinking white wine and the barmaid is busty. This is a higher class of establishment than the usual town pub. George's friend is considerably older than George, but this assumption is only made due the amount of grey hair he has. Therefore we must ask how old his wife is, and thus how old his mother-in-law is. And also what this woman has been doing that is so saintly. Perhaps this man has recently lost his job and is behind on his mortgage payments and so she has chipped in to help him and his young wife out. Or perhaps he got his new young girlfriend pregnant, the same woman that he divorced his wife of 20 years for, and then had to quickly marry her but the mother-in-law was very understanding that the 60 year old has got her 19 year old daughter pregnant.

Enter Sammy. He is obviously drunk as we know he has a drink problem. In addition to this he has dizzy spots before his eyes and is off balance. He catches the man unaware when he makes what we believe is a quip by slapping him on the back. But look at the force at which he strikes him on the back. It's so much that it creates a sound wave and cause some drops of wine to spill from the man's glass. George isn't shocked by this unless his reaction occurs after Sammy's quip.

Is Sammy there on his own or was he with them? Is that Sammy's drink that the busty barmaid is pouring? These questions may never be answered but the important thing to know is whether Sammy's quip is said in jest or whether he actually believes that the man's mother-in-law is dead. If he does, he is making light on what could be a very sensitive situation. What if the man had just returned from his mother-in-law's memorial service? To be honest, this is unlikely judging my his attire. Any man who attends in a memorial service in a suede jacket and black t-shirt is not in mourning.