I grew up watching my parents help a lot of people who were either in need or in trouble. Back in the 90’s, when we bought a second hand car, whenever we went to the city they slowed down at the bus stop to check for familiar faces. And if there were any, my parents would drop them first. However I used to get pissed at that, as I’d have to share the seat with some random aunty who would eventually ask me my grade and how I was doing at school. That’s the last topic I want to discuss about, you see.
My sister and brother in law are sponsors for the education expenses of a child at an orphanage and are doing their bit. My mother, ever since she started earning, saved a portion of her income for the poor. I am not proud to say that I’m not doing any of these, but I never turned down any genuine opportunity that came my way.
Recently I got an email from an acquaintance. Not a school friend, or a college mate or an ex colleague. Just a random face I met once or twice in my journey. In the email, she said: Hey Anita, hope you’re doing good. How is your family? I need a small help from you. I want to do a course in a XXX university here which would cost me 15000 euros. I can’t ask my father as he is in a financial crunch from a recent huge expense. My husband doesn’t want me to do this course. Can you please send some money to my account? I will return it once I get a job. Thanks, Ms. ABCD.
Now my reaction to this is WHAT THE HELL !? or even worse.
The mail talks volumes about the immaturity of the person and her perception of others that they are fools. Her husband doesn’t want her to do this course. So she is going around begging and how the hell is she going to collect money as much as that? And she says she will return the money if at all she gets a job ! What if she doesn’t and decides to stay at home? Would that mean that as per the deal the money doesn’t have to be returned? When the husband is around, and the wife collects fund from her friends for her expenses what does that say about the husband? Anyway, I replied to the email in the most decent way possible, that I had a baby now and we are currently unable to meet our own expenses and closed the chapter.
A month later, Ms.ABCD posted on facebook: “ Browsing through my new iphone”.
The same month a bunch of pics were posted in facebook. The album was named ‘ Weekend at the London tower’. Ms. ABCD and her husband, dressed luxuriously looked all classy in the pics.
Do you think this person actually needed the money?
P.S: This was one of the very few instances in all my life that I felt proud of myself. If I had sent the money however small it may be, the above updates on facebook would have made me suicidal.
Again a piece of good writing on a topic which must of interest to all. One must assess carefully and then only a decision can be made. Not to get carried away by e mails and letters.
ReplyDeleteShe actually updated tht??!!OH GOD! Thats is sooo cheap!
ReplyDeleteGlad that you used ur mind well enuff to take a worthy decision ;)
What about their Conscience???
ReplyDeleteSad to see such people around !
Unbelievable! Are you sure it was not one of those spam emails asking for money? Cos, I've got a few like that. There is a saying which goes, something like this.. "If you lend money to a friend, be ready to lose one of them".
ReplyDeleteThis brings to mind an incident from our school days. We were waiting for the bus home. A blind man was begging at the bus stop. As soon as the bus came, in the mad rush to secure a seat, people pushed the blind man, and all his coins were scattered all over the place. I was getting into the bus and looked for you and found you helping the blind man collect the coins from the road. My instant anger on seeing that you did not get into the bus, which we waited a long time for, was replaced by a warm feeling in my heart, in seeing your compassionate deed. I was so proud of you just then! Now, that is one incident I will never forget! :)
darn! why would someone do that?
ReplyDeletei fail to understand the morality of people these days...
Papa: True , Papa.
ReplyDeleteRed Handed: You said it. It was CHEAP!
Asif: Totally. That too among the above average, educated lot.
ReplyDeleteAnjuchechi: Yes, our parents have tasted the bitter side of lending money to relatives also ! So I am careful always in money matters.
And reg the blind man? I had forgotten that...thanks for reminding...I feel proud of myself now :)
The Blunt Blogger: Me too !!!
ReplyDeleteabsolutely the right thing done there-money lent even among friends causes bad vibes-it should be lent even more cautiously to acquaintances...
ReplyDeleteand people these days would stoop to any level to get what they want-sad n sick!
Suruchi: Totally sick I say. I am so glad I responded the way I should, and not fall for fake sentiments like I usually do !
ReplyDeleteoh Anu ,I really think in this case , your friend is misunderstood. Because i have been a victim of an email hacking , where all of my friends received a VERY similar email. ( Anju chechi would have got one from me too :D). Then the hacker logged into my gtalk , and started chatting with some of my friends. In my case, the story was that I lost my purse in London and that i need money to get back home. I suddenly started getting a number of calls one day asking what happened .. and i was shocked to hear what was happening. I was able to email a group of friends saying that this is a hoax. but meanwhile he had deleted off my contact list. He created a fake email id very similar to mine ( u wouldnt notice at first ) and tagged it to mine, so all the emails that were sent to me goes to that.I think your friend must be genuinely innocent in this case and thatshe wouldnt even have seen your reply email. - From a VICTIM who went through this horror saga.:)
ReplyDeleteI loved the 4th comment.....for some weird reason tears rushed into my eyes as I read it, u r beautiful Anita, inside & out:-)).
ReplyDeleteAnjana chechi: Yes chechi, I know about the email hacking etc from your id as I also got a mail asking for money from that....but this is not that type, cos, in the mail she had mentioned me and my baby's name too and asked how the baptism went...! Also when I replied that I am not in a position to transfer money she replied saying 'Its okay' ! :D
ReplyDeleteNancy: Thank u so much... That comment was from my sister...we used to commute together in bus while going to school and back. :)
ReplyDeleteHi.. I am an anonymous reader of your blog and read it regularly.
ReplyDeleteI would just like to tell you that particular email would have been a spam email. There are many such masqueraded emails that are sent across and its difficult to detect them for common man.. even though of this? Google earns billions of money from the ads people click on their homepage.. and you though its all safe..
Give me your email address and even I can send you an email as if like it came from you :-o
forgive your friend, she might not be a culprit, just victim of spam emails..
-An anonymous reader (and a software professional, unfortunately.)