I have had many years experience of being a lender. One thing with my heart is that I cannot fail to help someone who comes crying to me for help. I have lent money to friends I know even some I don't know too well. I give them good deadlines and they mostly repay me then. Some with interest but some I decide not to take interest from them.
Now one of Jonathan was my good friend and he came to me asking for a loan of N500,000 (about $500) then. He told me about this business he's gonna do with it and that the money will yield an instant N300000 ($300) on top after he sold the stuff and that he'll give me back my money and we also share the profit.
Jonathan's voice was very convincing, I also trusted him because he was my friend, I decided to lend him the money. His words of thanks was like music to my ears, I was glad that he was going to do something good with the money, I wasn't even much interested on the profit he was going to share with me, I only needed him to return my own money.
He said he'd send my money back to me the next day after he is done with the business.
Soon it was already the next day and it was evening, I was expecting to see credit alert from Jonathan as well as a call from him. My expectation soon turned into disappointment as he didn't send me the money nor called to explain why, I didn't even see him that evening as usual.
I waited till the day ended, in the middle of the day I decided to call Jonathan. "What's up Jonathan?" I said as he picked the call.
"Oh hey, Stanley, sorry I haven't sent the money, I sold the stuff to the seller but he hasn't paid me yet, please be patient", This was his reply.
Ok I decided to be patient but I was already suspecting something fishy, I was even thinking why I didn't take any collateral from him while lending him the money.
Days turned into weeks and Jonathan was nowhere to be found, he even stopped calling or answering my calls.
I even found out that Jonathan opened a new business shop while he hasn't paid me my money, he has been making so many investments while he was still owing me.
I felt like involving the police but my mom withheld me from doing that, besides the type of police we have in this country will make you spend even more than you're going to gain.
So I went to his house and met his father and told him about everything that his son did. The father agree that it was a wrong act and that he'd get to the root of the matter, he also thanked me for not involving the police in the matter.
The next day I saw Jonathan in my house, instead of even apologizing he told me I cane to his house to threaten him with police. I told him I'm very disappointed in him, I gave him that money out of my own good will but I see he's very ungrateful.
His reply was: "Who said I wasn't going to give you the money? I'll give you your money Oga, a debtor will always pay!"
Now that sounded very rude to me, I angrily told him that he has to pay me before weekend or he'll see the othee side of me, I then sent him out of my house.
Well before the weekend he sent me the money with some texts that said: "Thank you for the money but you didn't act as a friend!"
I wondered where I did wrong, I refused to reply his messa6hence I've gotten the money, but I called off every relationship with him.
From then on I'm careful of the people I lend my money to and make sure I take good collateral from them. Jonathan taught me a big lesson!
Thank you for reading.
