Do I look like a walking checkbook??
OK. After what happened with my dad and how he spent the money I gave him for my brother's university and my little sister's school, I thought I had earned a little peace in the monetary sence. I gave my dad the six checks he needed to cover the money he spent and I agree on still pay a part of one of his many debts with the bank.
He was grateful and embarrased and my mom, looking at him with that very stern look that only moms can do, told me not to worry anymore, that she would make sure that my dad really used the money to pay University, School and debt this time. And I trust my mom, so I gave a sigh of relief and I said to myself "Well, that didn't come up that bad after all".
Peace.
Until a couple of days ago, when I got a phone call from my other sister, Fabiola.
She's the mother of my two lovely and beautiful nephews. And right now her life is pretty much upside down. She's getting divorced from her husband, Cristián and it's a pretty nasty divorce, as much as nasty was a big part of their married life.
Apart from all the emotional issues a divorce brings, it's the monetary side of it. Cristián and Fabiola had a very expensive train of life, one they can't afford but they always managed to juggle the financial issues. Mainly thanks to Cristián, who really knows every little trick regarding debts and how to avoid to pay them.
But now my sister is pretty much on her own. Cristián is giving her some money but she claims it's not enough (of course it's not enough, they have a VERY BIG house, the kids are in the most expensive schools of the city and there's the HUGE debts that my sister has because she asked a loan for Cristián a couple of years ago). Cristián says he can't give her more, he's going through a rough time himself, his new bussiness isn't going as well as he expected...
They're now selling the house, but Fabiola needed money with urgency, to pay at least the more important debts she has.
And, as the song say, Who you gonna call?
ME.
She asked me if I could ask for a loan (a BIG loan) in the bank and then give her the money, because she really needed it, she wanted to make a fresh start, and I was the only person she could count on.
Sadly, the last part is true. -_-;;
I've never in my entire life asked a loan. EVER. These kinda stuff scare the shit out of me, because that's how the financial downfall of my parents started. But she IS my sister after all, I love her deeply in spite of our big differences.
So I went with pain in my soul and got the loan.
She was so happy and grateful. Then, I asked her to go with me to buy some stuff I needed and in the instant I turned my back she went to ask the price of the very expensive perfume she uses and the even most expensive cream she needs for the "proper care of her skin".
ARGGHH!
I told her "Fabiola, if your situation is as bad as you told me, you better forget all these stuff. You don't really NEED it, do you?"
"I know, I know" she told me. "I wasn't going to buy it, I was just asking the price... you know, just to know it".
-_-;;;
I love my sister. She's not a bad person. And I trust her to pay for the loan, regarding her debts she is WAY more responsible than Cristián (the fact that she was desperated to pay her debts proves it... Cristián would have shrugged and said "Well... I just won't pay") and she has a stable job. True, her salary is not that great but she can live a good life if she just learn to make it SIMPLE, without all the luxuries she's so fond of.
But old habits die hard...
And I still feel that I'm my family's walking checkbook. To think I was considered the black sheep of the family sometime ago, and Fabiola was the ever rising star...
He was grateful and embarrased and my mom, looking at him with that very stern look that only moms can do, told me not to worry anymore, that she would make sure that my dad really used the money to pay University, School and debt this time. And I trust my mom, so I gave a sigh of relief and I said to myself "Well, that didn't come up that bad after all".
Peace.
Until a couple of days ago, when I got a phone call from my other sister, Fabiola.
She's the mother of my two lovely and beautiful nephews. And right now her life is pretty much upside down. She's getting divorced from her husband, Cristián and it's a pretty nasty divorce, as much as nasty was a big part of their married life.
Apart from all the emotional issues a divorce brings, it's the monetary side of it. Cristián and Fabiola had a very expensive train of life, one they can't afford but they always managed to juggle the financial issues. Mainly thanks to Cristián, who really knows every little trick regarding debts and how to avoid to pay them.
But now my sister is pretty much on her own. Cristián is giving her some money but she claims it's not enough (of course it's not enough, they have a VERY BIG house, the kids are in the most expensive schools of the city and there's the HUGE debts that my sister has because she asked a loan for Cristián a couple of years ago). Cristián says he can't give her more, he's going through a rough time himself, his new bussiness isn't going as well as he expected...
They're now selling the house, but Fabiola needed money with urgency, to pay at least the more important debts she has.
And, as the song say, Who you gonna call?
ME.
She asked me if I could ask for a loan (a BIG loan) in the bank and then give her the money, because she really needed it, she wanted to make a fresh start, and I was the only person she could count on.
Sadly, the last part is true. -_-;;
I've never in my entire life asked a loan. EVER. These kinda stuff scare the shit out of me, because that's how the financial downfall of my parents started. But she IS my sister after all, I love her deeply in spite of our big differences.
So I went with pain in my soul and got the loan.
She was so happy and grateful. Then, I asked her to go with me to buy some stuff I needed and in the instant I turned my back she went to ask the price of the very expensive perfume she uses and the even most expensive cream she needs for the "proper care of her skin".
ARGGHH!
I told her "Fabiola, if your situation is as bad as you told me, you better forget all these stuff. You don't really NEED it, do you?"
"I know, I know" she told me. "I wasn't going to buy it, I was just asking the price... you know, just to know it".
-_-;;;
I love my sister. She's not a bad person. And I trust her to pay for the loan, regarding her debts she is WAY more responsible than Cristián (the fact that she was desperated to pay her debts proves it... Cristián would have shrugged and said "Well... I just won't pay") and she has a stable job. True, her salary is not that great but she can live a good life if she just learn to make it SIMPLE, without all the luxuries she's so fond of.
But old habits die hard...
And I still feel that I'm my family's walking checkbook. To think I was considered the black sheep of the family sometime ago, and Fabiola was the ever rising star...