This is a true story.
Way, way back in time . . so long ago that I can now remember the story . . . I needed a couch for my new, dusty, crusty apartment. But I had little funds and so I found myself at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. And there I found a couch. A big, red, velvety couch. They had it listed at $11. I offered six. They accepted and I took my couch home.
Later, I exhultantly called my Roman Catholic girlfriend and said "I've got a couch!" I then told her the story about the purchase.
I expected her to be thrilled with my bargaining power. She had criticized me in the past for paying whatever price was demanded, usually far in excess of what I should have been paying. So I was thrilled. And I expected her to be thrilled.
Instead, she said something like "you did what?" I replied that they had asked for $11 and I bargained them down to $6. "Wasn't that great?", I implored.
Her reply. "You cheated the St. Vincent de Paul charity organization out of five dollars?"
Ice hung on her words.
I had failed again.
Later, I came home one night and found a bat flying around my apartment. Apparently it came free with the couch.
