Now, I just don't believe in lending anybody any money (unless it's an ABSOLUTE emergency and we're blood relatives or it's a friend who has donated me a kidney or something). I have witnessed far too many relationships go down the drain to feel comfortable about borrowing or lending money and I'd really rather not jeopardize any of my relationships/friendships - they matter too much to me. Besides, my granny always told me "never a borrower or a lender be!" Anyway, in line with this motto, I told Sofia no dice. That didn't stop her, unfortunately.
She tried asking me again about 6 weeks later and 4 weeks after that. Persistence does pay because I finally caved, against my better judgment, and lent her some cash. I just couldn't hold out anymore when she explained the reason in a letter written in English by a friend - Sofia's England is not so the good! She needed the money to pay the rent or she was going to lose her home.
Despite abandoning my cherished principles on money, I felt very benevolent and helpful when the I finally did lend it to her (with The Engineer's consent, of course). Little did I know that I would scarcely have time to feel pleased about helping someone because she came back to me the following week and INSISTED that I take her on 5 times a week instead of the usual 3. I had to give it to her - she always had reasons for everything. This time, it was because of the new minimum wage introduced by the Tanzanian President and the only way to justify her increase in salary was to increase the number of days she worked.
Something told me not to do it but I agreed to a 5-day schedule and of course the corresponding increase in wages. I had to literally scrape around for things to fill her time with (it's only The Engineer and me, no dirty kiddie clothes and toys strewn about).
I was already feeling a bit manipulated at this stage but what she did next really pushed me over the edge. After everything - the increase in wages, the lending of the money - she stopped turning up regularly!
I felt like I was being taken for a ride - which I undoubtedly was. Her excuses were lame ; a stomach ache here, a headache there and the last one was that her doctor had advised her to stay home - goodness knows what for! She seemed perfectly fine to me.
The last excuse she pulled was rather dramatic. She came in in the morning, ate her breakfast and went about her work. After about an hour, I suddenly realized that I hadn't seen her fand looked around only to find her on the floor, clutching her stomach. The minute I said she could go home, she stood right up and marched right out the door! That was the moment it dawned upon me that she must think that I am a teeny bit of an idiot!
Much as I hated it, I decided to let her go. An employee who is bad at what they do is one thing but I didn't want to deal with someone who was good at their job but whose attitude was not.
So, that's how I ended up having to train a new girl, Imelda (she's really young). Her England is even MORE not the good compared to Sofia. Imelda is eager enough but not as good at her job as Sofia was. The good news is that she hasn't asked me for money or rolled about on the floor clutching her tummy - not yet anyway. So wish me luck!
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