The scream of the telephone raped of the silence of the apartment, the silence
of the apartment was not velvety. Only once did I see a velvety silence, it
was 3 o’clock in the afternoon in the posh apartment of a friend of mine
with the Lalique vases too lazy to even reflect the sunlight seeping from the
Venetian blinds. But that silence was too sacred to be offended by shrieking
telephones. The phone bill that comes every three months is now down to
36,000 Lebanese Pounds – 22 USD. Just the subscription. No calls charged.
No outgoing or incoming ones. There was an added 5,000 LBP because the
payment is being domiciliated in the bank. The other bill paid through the
bank is the electricity, these days it averages 28,000 LBP. In detail: Total
16340 Value added tax 2374 Fee and stamp 3400 (Paper was digital though,
had no stamp) Rounding up 886 Rehabilitation 5,000 Total 28,000. With-
drawn in addition to the 5,000 LBP the bank charges. “Spare yourself the
hassle and ask for your receipts to be paid through the bank. Check with your
bank or check with us.”
“Hello?”
“Hello… Oh, I misdialed, I am sorry.”