That was the bitter lament of two cleaning women, weary from long hours of toil, as the company once again delayed their wages. Thirty days of sweat and hardship, and yet the simple hope of receiving their pay was met with another postponement.
The boss, too, found himself ensnared – clients dragging their feet, neglecting payments owed on projects, leaving him clutching daily interest rates that burned like fire in his hands. Try chasing the money, and the client’s phone magically switches off, or they’re suddenly “too busy,” or – classic move -“please contact accounting.” If it were genuine hardship, people might be sympathetic. But the real kicker is the attitude – dragging their feet, dodging calls, vanishing like they’ve entered the witness protection program.
Were it true hardship, compassion might still be found. But what stings is the insolence – the deliberate evasion, the stubborn refusal, the vanishing act perfected to an art.
The bond between creditor and debtor is the most enduring of all human ties. A husband or wife might leave you for someone else, and you may not even bother to go looking. But if a debtor disappears with your money? Even if they flee overseas, you’ll find a way to drag them back by the collar to cough it up!
Landlords know this anguish well: tenants who owe months of rent, yet refuse to leave, while gleefully parading photos of dinners, resorts, and shopping sprees online. It is enough to make one’s blood boil.
Indeed, life holds countless forms of waiting and most of them are as fun as waiting for paint to dry.
