EASY FINANCIALS

EASY FINANCIALS

 

We all probably have that one friend who disappears until he or she has a need. When Mike (not real name) calls I know he wants me to do a favor for him. He is constant through the seasons, unashamed and unbridled. I’m the sucker for always saying yes.

 

“Hello?” I said.
“Need your urgent help.” He spoke in a rush this time. Some of his words indistinct. The background noise did not help either. Loud music and lots of people talking at the same time. Was he at a party? I gathered he was broke again and living in topsy-turvy times. Life had taken a dark, dingy direction. He was behind on his rent. There was a list of endless calamities that had befallen him.

I tell him to calm down. He seemed about to lose his mind if he hadn’t lost it already.

“You’ve got to keep saying ‘yes’ when life says ‘no’. Find the positives to balance out the negatives,” I said.
“Words of wisdom are good. However, what I need right now is urgent financial help. Like right now. Nothing is too small.”

He clearly didn’t care for my nuggets of wisdom about life. That only added to his litany of woes and the many closed doors he faced. I didn’t have what he wanted from me though. I had just paid for a competitive and expensive course. But I promised to call back in a couple of minutes. Let’s see what I could do.

 

I waited for him to end the call. He thought I had ended the call. The background noise became clearer and I knew where he was. He was at his favorite Seaside Bar. I heard him chatting with the bartender and having a good time.

“Is your friend going to send the money?” An unknown female voice asked.
“Easy as ABC. Of course he will. That’s how I sort out my financials.” I had a mental picture of him winking at her and she laughed.
“Everything’s on me tonight. A round of drinks for everyone.”

 

I end the call and took a five-minute break to gather my wits and compose myself. Then I called him back.
“Did you need my bank account details?” he asked.

“This is Easy Financials. Easy as ABC…this bank is closed tonight,” I told him and switched off my phone.