Allowance

[BENNU]

At Cairo domestic departures I met a woman on her way to The Red Sea. She was not a normal tourist, she had an Egyptian husband. I was not on a holiday, I have a life in Luxor. She wondered how much allowance I give my husband. I give zero gineh, of course.

She was surprised because her husband was not satisfied; he knew that all the other foreign wives pay minimum a thousand euro every month. She gave no answer when I asked her for what they were paying with all that money.

I have not managed to attract a husband and my admirers will not even let me buy my own drinks. She wanted to know how much my girlfriends pay their husbands. I lied that in my eighteen years in Egypt, I had never heard of anyone giving a grown man allowance.

That bought me a moment of peace, until it was time to board.

[HEPZIBAH]

I'd just like to know how all these foreign wives have a spare thousand euro (£880 approx) every month to give away.

[Teddyboy]

The poor lady is probably an escapee from LaLa Land! What's wrong with these women, is it to do with hormones perhaps, or a general lack of self-esteem or attention, or could it really be; luuurrrve?

[HEPZIBAH]

Teddyboy, I'd suggest that for many, sadly, it is a case all of the above.