I recall how some years back, a friend of mine had a problem with housing, her aunt threw her out of the house, for no tangible reason, well that was what I was told, being a good friend, she pleaded I accommodate her until she could find her balance once again.
At first, I was quite skeptical about accommodating her because of this popular adage that says "too much familiarity brings about contempt", but then I am a very accommodating and soft-hearted person, I had to persuade my mom she agrees to my friend to stay with us, well I thought I knew her so well, so I thought that it wasn't going to be a problem.
Mom accepted she came over, so I called her and told her to come over, Grace was excited and so that evening, she showed up with her luggage, I had already prepared her favorite meal for her, I just wanted her to feel at home.
She ate to her fill, so we talked about so many things that night, and then I showered her with words of encouragement and hoped our friendship would be close now we lived together.
Days passed, and I started noticing some ugly traits about my friend, Grace was a lazy person, I do most of the chores, and I expected her to help out with some minor chores like laying the bed and sweeping the room, but no she wouldn't. She lay in bed almost all thru the day, when she manages to get up, she expected her food to be ready, well I just ignored her and kept doing the needful.
I shared almost everything with her, whenever I buy anything, I bought for her including lingeries, and even edible, because I felt she was not just a friend anymore but now a sister.
She would beg me to lend her money so that when she gets a job she would refund me all she owed, so I kept lending her.
After a few weeks, she got a job, I must confess I was surprised at her attitude, the friend I thought I knew wasn't who she was, now I can admit I only knew her from a distance all along because she became so selfish, she started to be selective in the food she ate at home because she knew she could always go out to eat without me knowing, whenever she buys edibles, she will start ranting how she wants to manage her stuff, she started living a lavish lifestyle and became so rude as well if my mom scolds her, she talks back and even refused to give me all the money she owed me.
At that moment, I started to realize why her aunt must have thrown her out of the house, as God may have it, she decided to go stay at her boyfriend's house, because it was hard for me to ask her to leave. One evening, I got back from work she had already arranged her luggage that she was leaving.
She told me she still had it in mind to pay me, but she was only trying to sort herself out, I just wanted the whole thing to end peacefully so I never argued with her or made a fight with her.
I only told her how disappointed I was in her and we parted, this made my mom quite annoyed and this made it a huge barrier for my mom to accept outsiders staying with us no matter how hard it may be for them.
A few years later, we met in a market, Grace was too ashamed to approach me because of her past attitude, however, I approached her and we exchanged pleasantries and then she apologized for her past attitude that she regretted the way she acted, she promised to come to visit us and also ask for my mom's forgiveness, which she did, today we still communicate, but I do not hold her in so much high regard as I used to and I honestly find it hard to believe anything she says, because up till this moment Grace didn't pay back all the money I lent her, although I still help my friends in the best way I can, staying over in my place for accommodation is now a No! No! Once bitten twice shy" I think the person who invented this adage must have experienced similar situations hehe馃槃. I don't want problems, please.
