So there was this guy I used to hang around with a bit in high school. Let’s call him Bill. A few years ahead of me, he was a little unusual but pretty entertaining. He was a really good wrestler back in HS (file that little tidbit away for later). The last time we really crossed paths was back around 1990.
Not too long ago, he encounters my folks who live back in the hometown and he asks for my number to reconnect and they do. Old friend from high school, why wouldn’t they?
So I get a call the other night – ID said “Private Number” – and it was Bill. Now granted, though I recall him being a little odd, it was kind of nice to reconnect with the character and we chatted about the old days for a bit. And then he comes to “I got a proposition for you…”
The proposition was that he wanted to borrow $2,500. But! He’s got a construction job coming in next month and will be able to pay me back $2,600!!! Apparently, he needs some dental work done and doesn’t feel comfortable asking his parents for it because they’ll just rag on him for it (or something… didn’t quite catch those details). He called me because we were always such good friends and we’ve always done right by one another and never had any bad blood between us. I shouldn’t feel pressured… but he’d appreciate it if I didn’t spread this around to anyone… that it’s a little embarrassing.
Me: stunned, “Sure… ah… this is… um… can I get back to you on this? I’m finishing up dinner with a photo crew right now (I was… whole different story). I’ll be back in our home town next weekend for Christmas, can we hook up then?”
Bill: “Sure, sure” Some more blah-blahing, we hang up.
Me: to self, " 'The hell?" I mean, this is just a whole new level of “odd” for him. And he’s already climbed a few levels.
Now granted, I just paid off all my debt and am currently doing all right for myself, but I really don’t have a couple grand lying around to lend out to people, much less people who only call after over a decade specifically to ask for money.
If it was me who needed quick cash, I would first go to the credit cards, then to bank, then to family and then to CLOSE in-regular-contact friends. Again, I ask: “the hell?”
I ponder this weird little event for a couple days and think that I CAN’T have been the first person on his lending tree. And then I think of a good friend of mine (let’s call him Joe) who (1) still lives in town, (2) has done very well for himself, and (3) was an excellent wrestler. BINGO!
So I give Joe a call and ask him if he’s kept in touch with this guy at all or if he has heard anything weird about Bill, not mentioning any of the details Bill’s call to me a couple days prior. He mentioned that he heard that Bill used to do some assistant coaching and that he was asked to leave the program after some “odd, inappropriate calls to some of the students.” That’s just what he heard.
Oh, and about 2-3 months ago Bill left a weird message on Joe’s phone about needing to borrow a couple thousand dollars for some emergency dental work… and goes on to describe a story identical to the call I got a couple days prior.
:smack:
So I tell Joe about my call and we’re stunned about what’s going on with this guy. How many other people has he called with this story? Joe’s going to do a little more checking around and get back to me.
Again, I left it with Bill to give me a call back when I get back to town over Christmas break, which is this weekend. My gut has always said this was a bad idea and I have no problem denying him the dough. I’m just wondering if this guy needs mental help more than money help.
