A Salary Question Over Soup

At family dinners, Marco's uncle always asked what everyone earned. He said numbers were interesting and people should not be secretive. Marco disliked the question, but he usually answered, then listened while his job was compared with a cousin's better paid position.

Before the next dinner, Marco decided not to share his salary. He practised a short reply in the mirror and felt ridiculous. He could explain complicated repair problems at work, yet one sentence about his own privacy made his voice sound uncertain.

The question arrived with the soup. Marco said he preferred to keep that information private. His uncle laughed and guessed a number. Marco did not correct it. He repeated that he was not discussing his salary, then asked his aunt about the shelves she was building. There was an awkward pause before she described a problem with the measurements.

Later, his cousin joined him in the kitchen. She said the comparisons made her uncomfortable too, even when she appeared to win them. They washed the dishes while talking about the parts of their jobs they found difficult. Marco left without having convinced his uncle that the question was wrong. He had simply stopped answering it. The difference was smaller than an argument and much more useful than another evening of silent irritation.