ambiguous anathemas

here's the thing.
(as if there could ever really only be one thing. pffffttt)

let's rock a scenario-which you have heard, seen, read & experienced countless times.

who: 2 friends-let's call them madeleine (but we'll call her maddy) & oliver, just for kicks
what: in a conversation
where: irrelevant
prologue
let's assume our 2 friendsies are talking about something...oh, i don't know...going out to dinner, or meeting up, or calling when you said you would, la-la-la. let's say oliver just said he wanted to bail & do something else with his friends-or maybe he just wants to sleep. whatever.

the story
oliver looks kind of pained, braced for what he's sure will be an angry response, "are you sure it's fine?"
maddy looks him dead in the eye, "no, no, not a big deal."

conclusion
maddy goes home, or hangs up the phone, or walks away-and oliver imagines all is legit. he heard "NOT A BIG DEAL"-so that clearly meant he was off the hook, all was forgiven & little top-hatted leprechauns dance an irish jig just on the other side of the rainbow, guarding a pot of gold.
oh, simple, simple oliver.
maddy will spit nails for minutes, hours, days over the entire interchange. i mean doesn't EVERYONE know that "not a big deal" really means "you better fix this in a HUGE way, um, immediately.??"

this is girl 101. it applies to friends, lovers & whores.

evolve, boys, evolve.