Is it a mistake, or isn't it? By GJ

“Se habla, Español?”

Jean, I and two friends went to a Mexican restaurant in Chicago years ago and had one of the first Mexican dinners of our lives.

After a very nice, ample dinner, I went to the cashier to pay the bill.

The woman at the register was the co-owner, as was her husband. I showed her the bill and said, “I’m afraid there is a mistake…”

“No mistake,” she said.

“But a meal for four people can’t be less than six dollars,” I explained.

“No mistake,” she repeated.

“Too little,” I insisted.

“No too little,” she insisted.

“Do you speak English,” I finally asked?

“No speak English,” she replied.

I plunked down $15 or so, as I recall, and gave up.

Ah, but there’s a companion piece, here. At about the same time, more or less, we needed some work done on our living room floor. The squeaking of it was becoming a real issue. Jean called several carpet dealers as asked if they would take up our carpet, re-nail the floor, and replace the carpet?

Nobody wanted to do it, preferring to sell a new carpet, of course.

Finally, she found a willing merchant in a neighboring town. Two workers came out (about a 30-minute drive) and did the job. When Jean asked them, “How much?” they said we’d get a bill in the mail.

When the bill came, it was marked, “no charge.”

Jean called the firm and asked to talk to the bookkeeper.
When the firm’s accountant came on the line, Jean said, “I’m Mrs. Van Delinder and there’s a mistake on our bill.”

The woman said, “Just a minute” and went to get the file.

“No, there’s no mistake,” she said.

“But, the men were here most of the morning,” Jean told her.

“Can’t help that. There’s no charge.”

“But,” Jean tried to protest.

“Look, lady, if it says no charge, there’s no charge!”

“Well, okay,” Jean said. “I’ll say this…your prices are right!”