lending money.

i can't remember if it was a text message or a missed call that i got from that unknown number; it was probably a missed call. in case it was something important (like some rich, previously unknown relative's solicitor informing me that my family inherited a ridiculously large amount of money -- nyahaha), i sent a text message asking who the owner of the number was.

the person replied, looking for [insert somebody else's name]. [somebody else's name] was familiar; one of my high school classmates have that same name. so i asked, are you looking for [somebody else's full name]? you got the number wrong.

she introduced herself as a girl i knew from high school. we're from the same batch, but i was not her classmate at any given time. she said she got [somebody else's name] from another batch-mate. i sent her [somebody else's name]'s phone number. the girl then asked if she could borrow money from me. apparently she's hunting some previous batchmates because she needed to borrow money from someone. she's applying for a job abroad but her loan's delayed and she needed money desperately.

at the time, i just had a loan application rejected. i needed extra money to what savings i have at the time so daryl and i could finally get ourselves a place of our own. but with the loan application rejected (and because of some other circumstances, future loan applications will have to be delayed for a few weeks), i got myself into a pretty rotten mood. i figured, what the fuck. i got myself a new camera, and thought about using the remaining money to pay for some bills and make me marginally less in debt. and then there comes this girl asking me if she could borrow some money.

i figured, why not? she sounded like she needed it more than i did at that time. she was applying to work abroad, but the loan she applied for was delayed (ha-ha-ha) and she's looking for help from all possible places. long story short: we met up, i lent her a couple of thousand.

sometime later, she contacted me again, asking to borrow more money. so i lent her some more. last sunday, while i was with some friends, she contacted me yet again, asking to borrow some money. the whole thing about bring three of my friends from separate circles in one place was difficult enough (we had to agree to a common place, and coordinating the actions of 4 faggots is a dreadful business), but here come this girl who'd ask that we meet in makati and would tell me she's on her way just as i was already heading to manila (i've been trying to call her while in makati, but her phone was off).

"tell her to go here instead," when i told one of my friends about going back to makati to meet up with the girl. for some reason, i'd rather that i meet her there than drag her to manila. the other fag friends joked that they're short of funds as well and that they'll be borrowing money from me.

after some subtle manipulation, i was able to convince the other fags to head to makati for coffee; i'll quickly meet up with the girl, hand her the money, then go back and join them. the whole thing was really tiring.

by that point, she already borrowed 10k from me.

the next time she tried to borrow some more, i told her that i can't lend her anymore. i told her i have less than 2k left in the bank (and i was telling the truth). she still went on, send me a couple of more text messages which exasperated me. i don't not like misplaced persistence.

a few days ago, the girl wanted to purchase some groceries using my credit card. that really irked me; that is asking waaay too much from me.

i've been writing this on and off for the last few days that i don't know what's the point of it anymore. maybe it's to remind myself that i could be so stupid about lending people money if they ask from me. there was this guy who borrowed money from me before who insisted that we meet in this mall nearer his place. he'd also flood my phone with text messages everytime he borrowed money that i'd suddenly discover my phone inbox was full. he still hasn't paid me yet.

now this girl promised that she'll be paying me today. let's hope that she really does that.