Cabbage

Cabbage;
       1:  A cultivated plant from the brassicas family, an edible vegetable, having thick green or purple leaves surrounding a spherical heart or head of young leaves.  Can be eaten cooked or raw or pickled.  Pickled cabbage is a traditional German recipe known as sauerkraut.

        2:  A person who leads a dull or inactive life.  A sedentary lifestyle which can lead to various health problems such as obesity, heart issues, psychological distress and an increased risk in various cancers.

        3:  In business it refers to the left over material within the clothing industry ( commonly known as the rag trade ) which has been made into additional garments of the original designs.  The quantity of extra garments created from this extra material, supplied to outdoor factories, is always about 10% of the original order. Normally declared as ' wastage '.
Unless these garments are declared for on the company's tax return, they will not officially exist.
And any income from selling these garments will be mostly tax free. Or tax avoided.
This practice has been going on since the Inland Revenue was invented.
And the concept of cabbage was invented specifically to avoid the Inland Revenue.

Cabbage.            

This story is based on actual events. 
Only the names of the guilty have been changed to avoid any litigation.

August 1964.         The first lie

Arnold Foster opened the wooden garage doors to reveal his pride and joy. The gleaming silver 1957 V8 Chevrolet Bel Air.  With a little smile he walked past its left vertical wing, stroking the wing's chrome edge with the palm of his right hand, as he made his way to the drivers door.  He normally drives the company crew bus.
But today is Saturday.  Late afternoon.  And this is his weekly treat.  He and his family are going to visit friends.  Eat, play cards, kids will play in the garden, chat, talk about business and the up
coming wedding. And maybe talk about politics. But most of all, drink wine and beer and eat barbecued pork. But the cherry to this hot summers day is driving his Chevy. 
The turn of the key ignites the engine into life. He gives it a little rev.  The sweet sound of all 8 cylinders purring gives Arnold a sense of accomplishment. Maybe an old car but it's his old car.

Column shift into reverse.  Without any pressure on the gas, he slowly reverses the car out of the garage and out onto the road. Shift into Drive, he effortlessly steers the car to the right hand curb. Pointing up the road and aligning the passenger door with the front door to his 5 bedroomed house.

The five foot eleven inch slim Arnold took the key out of the ignition and opened the drivers door, stepped out of the car and strolled to the garage. He closed the big green wooden garage doors. Then strolled round to the front passenger and opened the door for his wife, Georgie, who, in complete contrast to Arnold, is rather plump and short at five foot two. Her blue floral dress fits her well and the large tan handbag clutched by both hands rests on her tummy as she approaches the car.
Out of the house comes a 14 year old, rather lanky, boy running past his mum and his two sisters, Loran and Roslyn.
"Get in the back Clive," his dad ordered him not to get in the front.
"Where is Marion?"  The well dressed, suited and polished black shoes Arnold asked.
"She's decided to stay home and look after the dog."
"Whatever." The look of exasperation on these parents faces is obvious. Georgie gets into the car and Arnie closes the door then walks round to the drivers side. By now the three children are seated on the back bench seat. As Arnie climbs in and closes his door, he lets out a sigh and says to his wife,
"She's getting difficult."  He puts the key into the ignition, "Can't we get her married off or something? Did you bring some cigarettes?" His question is more about a search for a solution to a difficult teenage daughter.  He turns that key again and again the engine roars into life.
"No! And yes. Here."  Georgie takes a packet of Stuyvesant cigarettes out of her large handbag,
removes two cigarettes from the packet as Arnold pushes the cigar lighter in.  Moments later the cigar lighter pops out with a clink. Georgie pulls the lighter out of its holder and lights a cigarette, passes it to her husband, then proceeds to light her own cigarette.