I was never good at lying. Most Southerners are not. As flawed as Southern culture is, mendacity has always been treated in the South as a despicable characteristic. Notice how often Southerners casually address others as “you son of a bitch” with no insult intended. When the same person calls someone a “lying son of a bitch,” you know he’s serious. I had just lied to the cabbie. And I was about to tell a lot more lies as the day progressed. I didn’t know if I would be up to the charge.
