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Something nice for a change.....
anxious_mum
Posts: 403 Forumite
About 6 years ago my nieghbour came round to my house one night in floods of tears. His wife, a friend of mine from school, had gone away for a couple of weeks and left him on his own with the housekeeping. He had gone down the bookies, and one thing led to another, and you guessed it, he lost the lot....and a lot more.
He was terrified that his wife would find out. I have to say, my friend's husband isn't the sharpest pencil in the box, in fact, without being too judgemental, I think he probably has learning difficulties. as well as being partially deaf, but he has done me plenty of favours in the past and has always been a good neighbour.
Anyway, he desparately wanted me to lend him £600 :eek: or there were people who would come around his house and take it forcefully, and not in a nice way, armed and dangerous as they were. He promised faithfully that he would pay it back in installments, and he begged me not to tell his wife.
At that time, I had some savings, in fact I had around £600 saved for a rainy day. I felt really pressured to lend him this money, and withdrew the cash and handed it over. His relief was immense.
The first few installments of about £100 per month were paid, and then, you guessed it, they stopped. He paid £300 in total. I cornered him a couple of times to ask where the money was, but he mumbled about being short and not being to pay up. He has always done my garden for me, and in the past I paid him, but he started doing the garden for free, so at least that was something. I wrote the money off as something I would never see again and put it down to experience. And I never breathed a word of it to my friend, his wife.
Today, I was working from home. He came into the kitchen and said he had something for me and proceeded to hand over £400!! A relative had left him some money in his will, and he was so relieved to be able to pay it back I thought he was going to start crying again! I told him he was overpaying by £100, but he insisted I take it all, it was interest, he said.
I'm going on holiday in a week's time and wanted £400 for spends. I've been struggling to save this much, what with teenage boys and general life happening. How strange that this should happen now, 6 years after the fact.
I'm still gobsmacked that this has happened, and wanted to share it with you. Somethimes good things happen when you least expect them to. What a day :j
He was terrified that his wife would find out. I have to say, my friend's husband isn't the sharpest pencil in the box, in fact, without being too judgemental, I think he probably has learning difficulties. as well as being partially deaf, but he has done me plenty of favours in the past and has always been a good neighbour.
Anyway, he desparately wanted me to lend him £600 :eek: or there were people who would come around his house and take it forcefully, and not in a nice way, armed and dangerous as they were. He promised faithfully that he would pay it back in installments, and he begged me not to tell his wife.
At that time, I had some savings, in fact I had around £600 saved for a rainy day. I felt really pressured to lend him this money, and withdrew the cash and handed it over. His relief was immense.
The first few installments of about £100 per month were paid, and then, you guessed it, they stopped. He paid £300 in total. I cornered him a couple of times to ask where the money was, but he mumbled about being short and not being to pay up. He has always done my garden for me, and in the past I paid him, but he started doing the garden for free, so at least that was something. I wrote the money off as something I would never see again and put it down to experience. And I never breathed a word of it to my friend, his wife.
Today, I was working from home. He came into the kitchen and said he had something for me and proceeded to hand over £400!! A relative had left him some money in his will, and he was so relieved to be able to pay it back I thought he was going to start crying again! I told him he was overpaying by £100, but he insisted I take it all, it was interest, he said.
I'm going on holiday in a week's time and wanted £400 for spends. I've been struggling to save this much, what with teenage boys and general life happening. How strange that this should happen now, 6 years after the fact.
I'm still gobsmacked that this has happened, and wanted to share it with you. Somethimes good things happen when you least expect them to. What a day :j
2013 NSD challenge 3/10 
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Comments
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How lovely something like that re news your faith in human beings ...sounds like it has been praying on his mind a lot0
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How lovely something like that re news your faith in human beings ...sounds like it has been praying on his mind a lot
Hate to put a downer on things, but in 3 years i'm sure he could have paid £300, and that's only saving £8.35ish a month. Instead he has waited to get a lucky break, and then pay it off.
Congratulations on getting the money back, but i'd hardly call it a good story!Per Mare Per Terram0 -
I think it's a lovely story considering I never expected to see any of it at all ever!2013 NSD challenge 3/100
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I too think it's a lovely story.
Hope you have a great holiday OP...0 -
Hate to put a downer on things, but in 3 years i'm sure he could have paid £300, and that's only saving £8.35ish a month. Instead he has waited to get a lucky break, and then pay it off.
Congratulations on getting the money back, but i'd hardly call it a good story!
But some people after this length of time would have " conveniently" forgotten about their debt .... this guy didn't and paid up although it took 6 years he paid it in the end0 -
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Okay, perhaps he should get a medal for his great achievement?
The OP is happy, and feels it's something to be pleased about. Why would you want to make her feel miserable just so you can make a point and be right?!
So glad it's worked out for you, OP. It was obviously bothering him, and perhaps he didn't consider saving it up over a long period of time in small amounts as it might have felt insurmountable to him.
And now you have interest and holiday money! Hurrah!
KiKi' <-- See that? It's called an apostrophe. It does not mean "hey, look out, here comes an S".0 -
You want to share it with us? How kind!anxious_mum wrote: »He came into the kitchen and said he had something for me and proceeded to hand over £400!!
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I'm still gobsmacked that this has happened, and wanted to share it with you.
Will PM you my PayPal details...
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JimmyTheWig wrote: »You want to share it with us? How kind!
Will PM you my PayPal details...
:rotfl:
KiKi' <-- See that? It's called an apostrophe. It does not mean "hey, look out, here comes an S".0 -
Awwww you so deserve it. So glad you got it back and didn't lose him as a friend either :-) I guess there will be a special place in heaven for people like you.
And i think it's a lovely story and has put a smile on my face. xx0
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