Jonathan and Maurice meet one day in Hendon. They hadn’t seen each other since their University days.
“So Jonathan,” says Maurice, “tell me about yourself.”
“I’m married, I’ve a beautiful wife, three gorgeous children, and if I say so myself, I’m a successful businessman,” replies Jonathan. “How about you?”
“I’m quite the opposite to you,” replies Maurice. “I’m only living to fulfil my mum’s opinion of me.”
“What do you mean by that?” asks Jonathan.
“Well,” replies Maurice, “despite my mum’s incessant nagging, I’m still not married. And in terms of a career, I own a local coffee bar.”
“So what’s wrong with that?” asks Jonathan.
“To my mum, I’m the nebekh,” replies Maurice sadly. “My older brother David is the successful architect, my younger brother Paul is the successful accountant, but me, well I’m the nebekh. And after her most recent rejection, I’m beginning to believe her.”
“Why, what happened?” asks Jonathan.
“Mum told me many years ago that she’ll only be proud of me when she sees a bank statement showing I have accumulated £100,000,” replies Maurice. “Fortunately, my coffee bar has been doing great business for quite some time now and I was at last able to go to mum with a smile on my face and a bank book showing £100,000.”
“So what did she say to you when she saw it?” asks Jonathan.
“She said, ‘You call that money?'”
nebekh: a nothing, a nobody
Credit: David Minkoff, A Word In Your Eye