One summer long ago, my dear wifes younger sister came to stay with us. I used to call her the family pet, for at every gathering, the conversation always seemed to revolve around her. Mother, father the whole lot would endlessly sing her praises: brilliant marks at school, graduated from a reputable university, landed a fine job in her field could there be a more perfect daughter?
Meanwhile, the eldest my wife never quite finished her studies and married instead. Curiously, hardly anyone seemed to mind, perhaps because I was rather well-off myself, with a business to my name. I owned a comfortable flat, drove a car of my own, and enjoyed a decent income. And yet, for the family, the younger sister continued to be the apple of their eye.
So it was, on that summers visit, that my wifes sister approached me for a loan. She wished to take out a mortgage for a flat but lacked the funds for the deposit. The sum wasnt too much for me, so I didnt hesitate to lend her the money. She explained that she worked for a government office and promised faithfully to repay me in monthly instalments.
Before long, she departed for a holiday at the seaside, just a week after borrowing the money. The news rather bewildered me here was someone claiming she couldnt afford a deposit, somehow finding enough for a trip to the coast.
She told the family that she had saved up all year for her holiday, but there was an odd twist: she hadnt yet applied for the mortgage. When I inquired, she simply replied that she had changed her mind.
I politely asked her to return the loan, since the money was meant for a flat, not a getaway. She told me she hadnt any left shed spent it all at the seaside. In that moment, I realised shed never intended to buy a flat at all.
I urged her, as tactfully as I could, to pay me back as soon as possible. Her answer stung: Ill be earning a lot soon, you can wait no money now.
And how do you suppose the tale ended? Just as you might think. She went straight to her mother and announced that Id demanded repayment before it was due, insisting that family shouldnt treat one another so. And so, once again, the younger daughter was held up as a saint, while we were painted as the familys greedy villains.
