Chapter 8: Due Diligence

Human beings are such a stew of emotions, and only a few good ones. Two sides of the human coin, good and evil? Can you assume there is a good or gentle emotion on the obverse to counter every harsh and nasty tendency? The ugly facets are predominant, out number the finer feelings.

A quick tally to prove my point. On the side of righteousness, we have Charity which is synonymous with Love, Generosity, Hope, Faith, Tolerance, Cheerfulness, Friendship, Fidelity, Loyalty, Lifting up, and Sacrifice. A dozen pleasant qualities, if you make a distinction between Charity and Love. Did I leave anything out?

On the heavier side, there’s Suspicion, Envy, Jealousy, Prejudice, Malice, Treason, Betrayal, Deception, Viciousness, Fraud, Ambush, Enticement or Offering Temptation, Entrapment, Theft, Slander, Gossip, Breaking Promises, Unfaithful, Disloyal, Framing the Innocent, Smearing, Disenfranchising, Belittling, Lust, Diminishing, Undermining, Ostracizing or Shunning, Baiting, Lies, Heckling, Anger, Sourness or bitchiness, Greed, Laziness, Intolerance, Torture, and Hate. I am confident I missed listing several important miseries. The congregation is an obvious plurality. Count them if you wish.

Why bother bringing the topic up at all? Only to point out the most insidious. Suspicion! My opinion? Money, or the love of it, isn’t the root of all evil, suspicion is. I have suspicions regarding my wife and her brother. I am trying to be stern with myself. Not be suspicious.

Self inflicted torture! It’s destroying me.

When we went to Curacao to enroll Clarissa on my accounts, I had a last minute change of heart. If we should break up, I don’t want entangled finances impossible to extricate her from. Instead, I offered to create for her, her own private account. My excuse to her why that is a better arrangement really is an excellent reason. If we shared an account, there is the specter, a real danger of arguments about expenditures and withdrawals. With her own account, there are no questions asked. If she spends it all, it’s empty and she emptied it.

The Clarissa account was opened with an initial deposit of fifty thousand dollars transferred from the Foundation’s donations accounts. Amazes me how the donations continue to accrue. They aren’t sufficient to totally offset my recent fling for jewelry and honeymoon, but if the rate of donations continue, I’ll be a millionaire again in a few more months. My business account with my profits as a partner in the storage facility looks healthy too. That balance stays in that account. It’s legit. No need to hide it offshore.

Clarissa was issued an ATM card. Understandably, she wanted to try it right away. I agreed she should, and should thereafter only use the card at ATMs to withdraw cash. Never use it as a credit card for direct purchases. At my suggestion, she purchased and loaded two hundred dollars on a prepaid card. She doesn’t understand the necessity for caution. Time for a lesson.

In Curacao is a restaurant I ate in once before and vowed never to enter again, but this time, I’m making a one time exception. It’s in a good cause. We went there for lunch. There isn’t anything wrong with the food, it’s excellent and the service is prompt and friendly. We enjoyed our lunch. Clarissa is in high spirits. Funny how money elevates one’s mood.

When we received the check, I slid the fancy logo embossed leatherette check wallet over to Clarissa.

“You’re kidding! You expect ME to pay for our lunch? With MY money?” Clarissa pouts.

“Well, think about it for a minute. Have you ever used a credit card before? How do you make the transaction? What happens? What is expected of you?”

“I don’t know. I’ve seen it done by other people, but I never had my own card before. Just sign it I think.”

“Today, I’m here with you to guide you. If you were alone and trying to use the card for the first time, with only the advice of the establishment to assist you, are you vulnerable to being cheated perhaps?”