FAMILIAR PARASITES

"I do not want to hurt her feelings. What if it creates a rift between us? You know how I feel about Tamara, if she takes offense, I may never get the chance to tell her. You of all people know how she gets when she is refused something", Joshua said with a sad face.

[source] (pixabay.com)

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Vincent, his bosom friend put a hand on his knee in sympathy. He sighed heavily before he spoke.

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"Tam is my cousin and you are my best friend. While I would ordinarily not want to interfere, I think it is about time I did. You know how protective of Tam I am, so you should know how telling you this may be hard for me but I also have an obligation to tell you the truth. Josh! Josh! Josh! How many times did I call you?

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"Do you really have to do that? You know I'm listening", Joshua answered trying hard to smile.

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"I just had to be sure. What I told you is nothing but the truth. You have to learn how to put your foot down, say no when you have to and yes when you mean yes. This is getting too much now. Just look at your store. I have told you this severally, each time it seems I'm pouring water on a duck who just shakes it off. This is the last time I am going to say it and this time, in reference to my cousin so that you know how serious this has become. You have to stop this. If they come, say no. If she comes again, say no. Do not allow your sentiments be the death of your business. I have said all I have to say".

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Having said his piece, Vincent stood up to go.

"Are you leaving already? You only just came", Joshua reminded him.

"I have to go Josh. We could meet up later in the evening. I only stopped by on my way to a meeting and the mood in which I met you may now be responsible for my arriving no earlier than ten minutes late for the meeting which will only be possible if I leave now", Vincent patiently explained.

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"That's alright then. Thanks for listening and I will do as you advised".

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"I really hope you do. If they do not care that they are running your business into the ground, then they were never your friends to begin with, Tam included".

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"I will do better Vin, this is my major source of income after all".

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"You should bro. I'll see you later then. Let me run along".

"Alright. See you later".

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Joshua watched Vincent get into his car that had been parked in front of his store. He waved when Vincent horned a goodbye before driving off. They had been seated outside but now, Joshua went inside.

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His sales person, a lady in her early twenties was taking stock of items a customer had shopped.

He went into his office, a cubicle partitioned off from the rest of the store with wood. Its hotness reminded him he had electricity problems to see to.

The power holding company had interrupted the power supply almost two hours ago. No surprise there, they were used to it. However, his power generating set had refused to come on after he had tried severally to put it on. In the end, he had given up and called its physician to see to it. The man had been working on it for thirty minutes now. He hoped he finished with the repairs sooner than later because in this area where his store was situated, lack of electricity was to the residents, a great reason not to come in and shop. He had seen three persons change their minds about shopping while he had been watching the man work at fixing the generator. Perhaps, that had been one of the reasons why his mood had plunged further. Josh would have noticed it even if he were blind.

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He was already in a bad mood before the electricity problem knocked. Business was not moving at all. He had known that for some time now but deciding to do his accounts on impulse earlier today before coming to work had shown him just how badly his business was doing. It had not taken Josh's truth serum alone to make him realize one of the reasons for its stagnancy. Joshua had only confirmed what he already knew. He had been letting his personal relationships with people get in the way of his business.

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[source] (pixabay.com)

Joshua was a kind guy, there was no doubt about that. He had a large heart. He loved to share with others which was probably why people loved him but his generosity was soon going to be the death of his business if he did not watch it. He knew people tended to take things for granted but preferred to give them the benefit of the doubt that they were not doing so in his case. His case was different or should be different but Joshua was not so sure anymore.

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Joshua had quit his 9-5 job to start a business. Luck was on his side as his business blossomed and within the first three months, he was well on his way to not only recovering his capital but making good profits as well. He had started on a small scale but had had plans to expand with time.

Two years on and those plans were just that; plans. Joshua knew one of the reasons for this; family and friends. His love interest, Tamara had recently joined in too.

[source] (pixabay.com)

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Joshua owned a grocery store. When word got to some of his relatives and friends, they decided to become his frequent patronisers. What were friends and family for, right?

The only problem was, they bought items on credit too often for any business to grow. Joshua would tell them no but he had never being the type to refuse anyone something he could give. He had never learnt how to say no without mincing words. They would come, in his absence sometimes and pick items they always promised to pay for but almost never did.

He often wondered how they did it; have the guts to ask for more while they were still largely indebted to him.

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Tamara was a girl he had no business loving, yet for some insane reason beyond his control, he did.

She like Vincent, was not in his league but while a shared project in school had brought him and a very down-to-earth Vincent together since their last year in the University, he had had no ties to Tamara until she tagged along with his best friend to his store on one occasion. It was love at first sight for him and he had failed miserably at hiding it if he were to go by Vincent's constant teasing since that day.

He had heard somewhere that girls knew it when a man was interested in them. Thinking about it now, he knew it was true. Tamara had shown up at his store severally since then. They became friends too but Joshua did not feel so much like a friend as much as he felt like a provider. He knew she could afford to pay for the items she took every two weeks when she unfailingly visited but she almost never did.

At first, he had paid no mind to it until he had mentioned it in passing to Vincent. His friend had said so little but the message had been resoundingly clear. He wanted Joshua to be careful.

Well, he may not have been 'careful' but realization had dawned on him on Tamara's last visit.

[source] (pixabay.com)

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He was yet to tell Vincent that he had made his move on Tamara then.

She had figuratively kicked him in his guts. She had put him in his place. He was not in her league, he would never be hence he was advised to direct his attention elsewhere.

It had made him wonder if Vincent and Tamara were really of the same bloodline. What was worse, after impolitely putting him in his place, she had done as she always did; shopped without paying for the items. He had also had to pay her cab fare since she claimed to have mistakenly come out with an almost empty purse.

Joshua had not believed her for one second but his mother had raised him to be a gentleman. As for her being his love interest, he was gradually getting over her or at least, he was trying to.

He had concluded that not only was Tamara selfish, she was also an unrepentant parasite as were those of his relatives who expected to feed fat off his store without paying a dime. Vincent must have been trying to warn him without actually outing his cousin.

[source] (pixabay.com)

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Joshua's mind was made up. He was having no more of it. He had a business to run and it had to succeed if he was going to adequately provide for his future wife and kids. He had them in his plans somewhere.

Vincent was right, they did not have his best interest at heart if they did not mind ruining his business.

It was with great resolve he stood up from his seat. He marched to the store and on reaching Mary, his sales girl, he paused to tell her he was going out for a bit. She was to give the repairer the agreed sum as soon as he finished and had the light back on. He left.

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Joshua came back three hours later with an artistically decorated board that read in all caps; "NO CREDIT, PLEASE DO NOT ASK". It was addressed "to all customers with no exception" and signed by "Joshua Thaddeus".

[source] (https://www.google.com)

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Joshua meant business this time and told Mary so. She was to follow the no credit rule to the letter and direct anyone who felt otherwise to him. He wondered who was going to be the first to encounter the new Joshua via a blunt refusal. He had no qualms being kind to those who really needed it. As for how he would know those who really did, he did not know, he just trusted his judgement to guide him. He had had enough. Business was business after all.

fiction written by @royalrose