What Won’t People Come Up With to Avoid Paying Their Debts?

It happened that both my husband and I were at home together, under quarantine. Wed run completely out of money. Something had to be done quicklya whole week still stretched ahead before payday, and we barely had a whisper of pounds left.

Of course, we had no real reason to panicthere was still a little food in the fridge. Wed get by somehow (though if Im honest, I do laugh about that now).

Thats when we remembered someone who owed us money. The amount wasnt grand, but it would have made all the difference right then.

As I stood fussing with the kettle, making us a cup of tea, my husband had already dug out the fellows number and dialled him. When at last he picked up, my husband put on his most no-nonsense voice, demanding the money straight away. Yet, even as I listened from the kitchen, I heard his voice shift in an instanthis tone melting into one of sympathy and awkward comfort.

He hung up and told me what had happened. Apparently, our debtors mother had just died. Being decent sorts, we straightaway agreed to give him more time.

Weeks slipped by. One evening, my husband and I fancied making a proper meal for once, so on our way back home, we popped into the local greengrocer for some bits and bobs. We gathered what we needed, and as we shuffled out, we nearly bumped intoof all peoplethe very same debtors deceased mother. I made a face without even thinking.

Id never before seen my husband so incandescent with rage. We bundled into the car at once and drove to the house of our supposedly grieving acquaintance. There we found himnot grieving, but deep in his cups, barely able to sit upright, and he flat out refused to return our money.

My husband, barely holding himself back, looked ready to drag the truth out of him. Suddenly the man caved in, mumbling that lying had been the first thing that popped into his mind. He shuffled off to his room and returned, finally, with our notes and coins. That was the last we ever saw of him.

So truly, how are we meant to believe and trust people after something like that? It was just like wandering through a village of mirrors and waking up with nothing in my pockets but disbelief.