My childhood friend married a widowed mother. Her former husband died while working as a maintenance worker on theVerrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. My friend vowed to provide for and protect his new wife and her daughter.
After a while, he had three more daughters. He was feeling the need to buy a house as his apartment was too small for the family. He started working nights and weekends, seven days a week to save the money he needed for a down payment of a home. This went on for 2 years.
He finally bought a small home built in 1957. The house was small, yet bigger than the apartment they lived in. He vowed to add an extra floor to his new home, and give all four of his daughters their own room.
He had a side job as a bouncer, and sometimes he drove a limousine. He spent nights in my living room sleeping because he was too exhausted to drive home. I even packed food for him to bring home when I cooked for myself. I only know how to cook large portions and I was single at the time
He hired an architect and he took an apprentice job as a carpenter to make his dream home come true.
The second floor was completed by September after years of planning. Halloween came and went Without a problem. Thanksgiving came to the new home. Now came Christmas.
With very little money left, he bought a Christmas tree, decorations, and presents for the entire family.
Just before New Year’s, the boiler of his house broke. With little money left, he told his family that they needed to brave the cold with blankets and some space heaters.
One day, he came home and picked up the mail. He accidentally opened his wife’s bank statement, thinking it was a credit card bill.
To his surprise, he saw a bank balance of $180,000 in his wife’s name . He could not believe his eyes. He went to his wife to show her what he found. She snatched the statement out of his hands, while yelling, “Thats my money!”
He asked her where did she get this money and she stated that it came from the insurance policy she had from her previous husband.
He asked when did she come into this money and she told him that it came while she was pregnant with their first child.
He asked her when was she going to tell him about this money and she kept repeating, “Thats my money!”
He continued by saying, “You let me work 2 and three jobs and 7 days a week for years to get the money to buy this house?”
She yelled out, “You wanted to work those jobs.”
Still pissed off at her, he said, “You would let your children brave the cold without a boiler?”
She cried out, “That’s your job and that’s my money”
He made her sign over all that money to him, he repaired the boiler, finished the second floor, bought himself a new car and set up 4 investment accounts for his daughters future.
No comments:
Post a Comment