Illustration by Michael DiMilo
By Bill Stokes
Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in observing the slave-like hold the money lenders have on the populace as it is now routine for the “slaves” to borrow money to do everything from attend college, use the remodeled bathroom or go visit grandma.
There are so many lending outfits on a nearby street—big fancy buildings where no meaningful cultural product is produced, that there is barely room for the human feedlots–restaurant clusters where credit cards prevail and using cash is now quaint.
There being no hope of chasing the money lenders off the steps of “the temple” the keeper is seeking a way to join them: he is thinking of setting up a card table down on the corner and offering loans of five or ten bucks for either a latte or a beer. Borrowers will need to bring their first born as a necessary security token. Include birth certificates and end-of-life planning documents.
