I finally found the perfect way to lend to people who just won’t payback
My name is Tunde, a medical doctor at a Nigerian teaching hospital (don’t ask me which).
A couple of weeks ago, my colleague Chris came up to me, it was month-end and salaries just rolled in and we were all high on alerts and very happy as though a cure for the COVID-19 had been found.
“Tunde, help your boy, my rent go expire this month-end and my car just develop fault, salary wen dem just pay, I wan use am settle the rent but I just need small extra cash to fix my car. You fit give me small loan? Na small money, e no reach you do, I go pay back when salary come next month” he said.
“I am not lending you anything! I don’t trust you and everyone knows you are crafty. I don’t have a car myself or you think I like walking in the sun? You are not my boy, we are just colleagues” I thought.
If only he could read my mind, he would have strangled me with his stethoscope. By the way, I have a problem, I am too nice. I think I got this habit from my mum, we both have a problem saying No to others.
I looked at him while he awaited my response, I wanted to say no but a small voice in mind said “maybe he has changed” as if a leopard could ever change its spots.
No problem, how much” I stuttered.
Just ₦50,000” he quickly replied.
₦50,000 is not a small amount but no problem, please I will need it back by month-end oh” I said.
You no trust me? No worry, this one no be FG when promise palliative” he said with a smile.
Of course, dude, I don’t trust you.” I thought.
As he turned around to walk away, Middletrust came to mind (It is an online escrow company I had used for the first time the previous week to make payment for a phone I bought from an online store, the seller even seemed less crafty than Chris. Middletrust acted as a middleman to ensure I got what I paid for before sending the seller his money.) Yes, I need to use this service again.
“Chris, I will send the money to you using Middletrust” I said. “Which one be middletrunk,” He asked.
“Middletrust not middletrunk. Visit middletrust.com, if you have questions, text me on WhatsApp” I added.
“Afterall, these patients waiting are not going to see themselves.” Again I said this in my mind.
That evening, I texted Chris to sign up on Middletrust, then I created a loan transaction and Middletrust sent him a notification. In summary, when he realized that on the due date for the loan repayment, ₦50,000 would be debited from his Middletrust account and if unavailable, would be automatically debited from his bank account, Chris called me and said.
Tunde, no worry, I no need the level again.
I jumped like I just won a trophy, so he had no intention of paying back. Thirty minutes later, he called back and said he needed it after all.
“So I just celebrated like Arsenal won the Champions League for nothing! Am I a joke to you?” I thought.
Anyways, he accepted the transaction, and the money was transferred from my account to him via Middletrust.
Fast forward to a month later, it was month-end and we were awaiting our salary or waiting for it to rain, as we liked to call it. Just about that time, Chris stopped replying to my Good Morning greetings, he continuously frowned at me and avoided me like he just found out I was COVID-19 positive. No doubt, he was using the fact that I refused to cover a shift for him at work as an excuse to keep me silent and not pay me back my money. I tried talking to him whenever we saw but he always claimed to be busy.
At last, the date for repayment came and nothing happened, he didn’t have the money in his Middletrust account or bank account, I assumed.
On a Saturday afternoon, I was seated at the doctor’s lounge when it began to rain, with the alerts rolling in. Everyone was smiling. I quickly scanned the room to find a frowning face staring at his phone like he just credited someone with ₦200,000 instead of ₦2,000. Then, my phone buzzed, I checked my inbox and saw a message
“₦50,000 has just been credited to your Middletrust account as loan repayment.”
I looked up and Chris was staring at me, I raised both hands and with a smile from ear to ear, I shouted,
“Baba, your boy loyal oo!!”
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