I don't understand how people can be so dishonest in dealing with customers. Yesterday, I bought a donut and a bottle of drink from a provisions store near my house. It wasn't my first time of patronizing that store. I was a regular face and the woman that sold to me knew that. I gave her money, don't remember the particular denomination, but she gave me some change and said she didn't have the rest of it. I turned to leave hoping to come back for the rest of it but on a second thought I turned to her and said 'can you write it down somewhere?' She looked at me like I was patronizing her and said that there was no need for that. So I added 'I hope you will remember'. She replied emphatically, 'I will remember. I'm not like that', as if I suggested that she was a thief, which was very far from my thought. I just didn't want to come back and we start bumping heads over how much she owed me or I meet her husband and then I look like the thief.
So I returned today hoping to collect my one hundred and fifty Naira and she started looking for ten Naira. Then said 'give me ten Naira so I'll give you twenty. You owe me one hundred and fifty Naira', I quickly added so she could remember. And she mocked me to scorn saying that she remembered she owed me ten Naira and I said let's put it down on paper and that she was like 'for just ten Naira?' I couldn't believe my ears. At first, I began to doubt myself. I tried to remember what I bought from her. I thought it was bread and milk 'cause that was my regular buy from that store. But then I remembered it wasn't bread. Rather it was donut and a bottle of drink. I reminded her of what I bought telling her it was just yesterday but she cut me short of my words saying it was the day before yesterday. That was when I was so sure that she was lying. I knew so well that it was yesterday because I didn't cook and I came down to have some snack. By then I had become bolder and was almost making a scene. Then she said she'd give me the money 'cause she was bigger than 150 but that she knew it was 10 Naira she owed me. And she brought out the money. I was so infuriated. I didn't want her to just get away with it. I wanted her to get the point. I told her never to try that with customers. That next time, to avoid any distrust, things should be done properly - she should write down the amount of debt. Then she said again, 'There's no need for that. I'm not like that'. I just collected the money and stormed out of the store saying 'I'll never come here again'.
On my way out it just made sense why she was always so nasty and unfriendly whenever I came to buy things from her. She was a dishonest person and so goodness wasn't part of her, unlike her husband who would go out of his way to get something for me when they didn't have it in the store. I just wondered how that innocent and good man married a Jezebel for a wife. Or, is he really that innocent?
I'm sure I'm not going back to that store except her husband is the one selling.
©Radiant ~4th May 2014
Well, I sure went back to the store and have been going there everyday 'cause I had no other option. And she apologized to me the next day, saying she later confirmed from her husband that I was the one she owed 150 Naira.
6 comments:
Awww sis, your wrath was a little misplaced. Her apologising to you the next day shows that rather than being a dishonest Jezebel, she is a humble perhaps temperamental women who had a temporary lapse of memory- we all do sometimes when so many things are on our minds. Her reactions to you at other times may not even be about you- she could be having certain issues making her stressed and less than patient- as a doctor you should know certain drugs like Chlolest-off that people use to treat Artherosclerosis have mood swings, anger issues as unwanted side effects. My point- do try to always give people the benefit of the doubt.
Forgive the typo... Humble perhaps temperamental woman...
Thanks Arike. I had written it before she apologized. But she's still nasty, though. But a little nicer to me now 'cause perhaps she feels embarrased at her mistake. Thanks for leaving a comment. It encourages me to see people do so
'Be ye angry but sin not," says the holy writ. In other words, it's OK to be angry but not to stay angry. This is simply what Chidi exemplified in her narrative. And her experience is just a mirror of what happens to many of us on a daily basis. It's great to know she has since gone back to patronize the woman, accept her apology and mend bridges. This is what Jesus would have done and so would I. Thanks for inspiring us, Chidi. U are blessed.
Many Nigerians Live with forms of Memory losses.
I know that store well. The husband is a good man but the wife is just something else....
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