Forgiveness is free - Trust is earned

I couldn't believe my ears.

“You did what!?”

Anna was trembling on her knees before me, tears seeping endlessly down her cheeks as she wriggled her fingers in confusion.

Source
I placed my two hands on my head and held my mouth open as thoughts ran almost nonstop through my brain. I walked the length of my room thinking of the best action to take when my phone beeped.

“Treasure,” it was Kemmy, one of my girlfriends. “Please we're truly sorry”

Anna was Kemmy’s younger and only sister who had just been admitted to study Pharmacy at the University where I attended as well.

I was playing a game of cards with my roommate one evening when Kemmy called saying she was coming over. After the pleasantries and serving her a plate of fruit salad, she requested before my roommate that she would love to have her younger sister stay with me for a couple of weeks.

“Kemmy you know I don't live alone” I began to protest. I could see my roommate shift uncomfortably on the wooden stool where she was sitting, avoiding making eye contact with me.

“I know,” she turned pleading eyes to my roommate. “I'm looking for a place to stay, once I get one she'll leave your house”

I released a deep sigh and rubbed at my temples like I always did when I was stressed.

“We'll talk about it, my roommate and I. Then we'll let you know” I told her.

After a lot of convincing, my roommate finally agreed for Anna to come stay with us, on the condition that she did all the chores.

Anna was a sweet and obedient girl like Kemmy promised she was going to be and we had no cause to complain about her for the 2 days she had stayed with us, until that day.

The entire episode began earlier that morning when I asked Anna to get some foodstuffs from the market but couldn't transfer some money to her because my mobile network was fluctuating.

“I can get the foodstuffs with my money,” she offered “Then you pay me back”

That sounded like a good plan. I didn't have cash on me and we had not eaten since the night before so I gave her the go-ahead.

Later that evening when she was to go to a church program, she reminded me to make a transfer to her.

“I don't know why my network is still having issues,” I was lamenting.

“She can take my card” my roommate offered. “Then refund me whenever you like”

The following morning when my roommate asked for her card, Anna looked around for it and said she didn't know where exactly she had dropped it.

“I'll look for it after class today” she promised then went off to school.

It was when I returned from school and asked if she had found it that she fell on her knees before me and began to sob.

“I kept my bag on a chair after church so I could ease myself. When I came back, the contents of the bag were scattered everywhere on the floor and the card was gone”

“Why didn't you say this to me since yesterday? We would have blocked the card. I have to call your sister and my roommate immediately”

As I suspected, my roommate was at the bank trying to understand why 25,000 naira had suddenly left her account.

“Anna did what!” She screamed over the phone. “See, Treasure, before I get to that house let her pack her things and leave. And call Kemmy, they should both arrange to refund my money to me!” She said and turned the phone off.

Instead of instructing Anna to leave, I called Kemmy and asked her to come over so we could put our heads together before my roommate returned.

“What is she still doing here?” Favor, my roommate asked angrily when she returned from the bank.

“Favour, please sit first. We've agreed on how to get your money” I told her and was grateful that she sat without further fracas. “Kemmy had saved up some part of her rent. She's willing to give 25k from it to you. But you too need to be compassionate.”

She raised a questioning brow at me but I stopped her before she could speak.

“This girl doesn't have a place to stay, and what she did was an honest mistake. Let her keep staying with us and let her sister refund your money”

She thought about it for a long time, causing Kemmy and me to keep sending worried glances at each other. Eventually, she said yes. I placed my arms around her.

“Thank you. But please, let this issue be like water under the bridge. I don't want to hear it from any of our friends or anybody at all” I warned her sternly. She snickered and went into the bathroom without giving a reply but I knew her.

So long as she got her money, she wasn't going to spill.