Overdrawn. Again.
The third time in as many consecutive months. And, payday was still far too long off to bring any semblance of financial relief – no fewer than eleven days until the next direct deposit hit. Making matters worse, an overtime moratorium at work – which meant no way to supplement the next check – not to mention a super slow side gig that hadn’t brought in much lately.
Running the short-term budget numbers only served to bring on more anxiety and frustration, blunting out any possible cockeyed optimism. Although there was generally a clear way to look on the bright side, this particular cycle had little to no silver lining. That is, except for one thing. One thing that was always present in such trying moments.
A possible promotion would deliver an appreciable bump in pay. Still, the last time a rung on the proverbial ladder was climbed, taxes wiped out a substantial amount of the gain. This time – if it came to pass – would not be much different. Regardless, it would constitute a net positive. But, it certainly wouldn’t do much for the already nonexistent disposable income. Every single penny would continue to count.
There just had to be a way to dig out of this predicament. Nothing illegal or unethical – something to pave the way off this path to nowhere. After all, living paycheck to paycheck was nothing short of exhausting as the most untenable experience that could not be tolerated much longer.
Now, a quick bit of arithmetic forced yet another painful decision – paying one bill meant another not being able to pay another. This is precisely what caused so much tension in their relationship. And, though they loved each other deeply, the stress most definitely took an unmitigated toll – a steep one at that.
“Cindy?”
“Yeah, Jim, what is it?!”
“Just going over the bills… we need to make a choice here.”
“Which one can we pay and who’s not getting anything?”
“Okay. We need to pay the electric bill, no question about it. I mean, it’s not possible to skip this – got to keep the power on, ya know?”
“And, what about the water bill? We’re already behind on that one.”
“I know, Cindy. I know. We simply just can’t swing both. We still have to buy groceries and put gas in the car, too.”
“Maybe next month, Jim?”
“We’ll have to wait ‘til then, I’m afraid. I mean, without any overtime for the foreseeable future and practically nothing coming from my side gig… all we can do is tighten our belts, cinch them up.”
“And what about C.J.’s field trip? It’s next week, ya’ know. I’d really hate for her to miss it. She’s been looking forward to it for two months.”
“Yeah, I know. We’ll just have to keep her home – tell the school she’s sick.”
“What if we get an extension on the electric bill, Jim, could we please do that?”
“Sure, but that means we’ll have two utility bills to pay out of our next paychecks. That won’t leave us enough to make the cell phone bill and the car insurance when those come due. I’ve run the numbers three times now and…”
“Okay, how about this? We request an extension for the electric bill and just pay the water bill late?”
“Sure, we can do that, Cindy, but that means we’ll have to pay another late fee, which eats into our gas budget. And I’m not even including the overdraft fee. It’s all a domino effect. We can only shuffle the pea under the shells so many times. We can’t afford the field trip – she’ll have to stay home that day.”
“Well, isn’t there a little bit left in our savings?”
“Not very much. Besides, that’s for emergencies only. And, if we were going to use it for anything other than that, we’d just put it toward the highest priority bill.”
“But isn’t this kind of an emergency?”
“Noooo… a field trip is most definitely not any kind of an emergency. We have to be at least somewhat prepared if something really important goes wrong!”
“So, your daughter’s only field trip of the year isn’t really important, Jim?”
“Sure, Cindy, it’s important, but it’s something that’s way down on the list of priorities.”
“Maybe we could sell something for a little extra cash and that way she could go with all her friends from school?”
“Sure, sell something, but what? It’s not like we really have anything valuable left to sell.”
“How about my necklace and bracelet? They’re worth at least a couple of hundred dollars.”
“You mean the set I got you for your birthday a few years ago?”
“Yeah. It’s not like we’re going to a fancy restaurant anytime soon or somebody’s wedding. I barely wear them as it is.”
“But I bought those as gifts for you!”
“I know you did, and I really appreciate that you got them for me, but we really need the money.”
“Okay, if you think so, Cindy. But, I don’t want you to sell your jewelry. I’ll sell my grandfather’s antique watch – it’s worth more anyway.”
Up until now, she managed to keep her emotions in check and hold back her tears. But, the very fact her husband would even suggest letting such a treasured heirloom go was simply too much. All at once, she truly felt the seriousness of their situation – it was nothing less than dire.
Having to make such hard, difficult choices had almost become routine over the past several months, stretching back now nearly a year. That’s when the trouble really started, when Jim lost his corporate job and had to take whatever he could get – they needed at least some income because they clearly could not live on her paycheck alone – it was too insufficient.
Once an executive with an upper-middle-class salary, Jim now worked for hourly pay. On a good month, they’d earn thirty-seven to thirty-nine percent of their previously combined household income. He tried for months to get into a lateral position with about the same compensation and benefits, but he was the victim of collateral damage. The company he worked for was the subject of a huge public scandal and anyone connected to it, including him, was persona non grata – regardless of the fact that he personally had nothing to do with the corporation’s failure.
He and Cindy had already lost their home, only months after putting in a pool, and went from two luxury cars down to one beater. Their maxed-out credit card debt, student loans, car payments, and mortgage were too much to handle without his corporate salary. So, they had no choice but to let their home go in a short sale and move into a cheap, visibly outdated rental.
It wasn’t much by any means – wallpaper from decades ago, stained carpet, and a persistent musty odor. But, it was a roof over their heads and came with a few little perks – like free cable television and a community pool. The former, the family never watched but they did enjoy swimming and sunbathing on most weekends.
This represented a huge change for their little family of three, although they eventually managed to get used to their new surroundings. What proved most difficult was being able to live with less – a lot less. Gone were all the trappings they previously enjoyed, along with their social life.
Friends no longer replied to messages or answered the phone. Until this point, neither Jim nor Cindy knew the actual, real-life meaning of the word “pariah.” No one they knew wanted anything to do with the couple, who were also no longer part of the social circle – a close group of friends who used to share many meals, vacationed in the mountains and took tropical cruises, and celebrated holidays together.
“I don’t want you to sell your grandfather’s watch, Jim. Let’s sell the bracelet and necklace, because they’re not so sentimental.”
“So, you don’t actually like them – I knew it!”
“That’s not what I’m saying and you know it! Okay, let’s not start another fight. Let’s just figure out what we’re going to do. How can we pay for C.J.’s field trip and pay at least one or two bills?”
“I told you, sell my grandfather’s watch. Remember when you took it to that antique dealer a few years back to have it fixed and cleaned? Didn’t he offer you a nice bit of cash?”
“Yes, he did.”
“All right, then…we’ll do that.”
“Jim, I can’t let you sell that watch without giving up something, too. If we sell all three, we’ll have enough to send C.J. on the school field trip, pay a couple of bills, and still have a little bit left over. Maybe enough to cover the overdraft fee and avoid another late fee.”
It wasn’t exactly the most painless plan but it was at least feasible. And, it would help to dig them out of the hole they currently occupied. But, both of them knew full well that it was also a temporary solution – they could only sell the jewelry once and it would be gone forever. Still, desperate for money, the couple agreed.
Reluctantly, they gathered the items and got into their car. After two stops, they had cash in hand and started to head back home. But, when they got back into the car, it wouldn’t start. Jim tried the ignition a few times, only to realize there was a serious problem.
“What is it, Jim?”
“I’m not sure, Cindy. Could be the battery, maybe the starter, the alternator, or even the ignition itself. It could also be an electrical issue. I don’t know, I’m not a mechanic.”
“Well, hopefully, it’s just a dead battery.”
“I’m not sure, the lights still come on.”
“So, what do we do now?”
“We’ll have to take it to a repair shop. Man! I’d just love a break from all these problems!”
“I know, Jim. But, at least we can use what’s left in our savings, if needed.”
The couple quickly located a reputable auto repair shop and arranged to have their car towed, where they nervously waited for a diagnostic. When the technician finally came inside, they couldn’t believe the news – the starter was bad and the battery was failing. Even opting for a cheaper option, a rebuilt starter as well as a generic battery, it would all add up to almost every bit of cash they just got from selling the last of their jewelry.
Although the repair shop did have financing available, that wasn’t an option, either. The short sale and serious credit card delinquency completely destroyed their credit. So, applying for another line of credit was a total waste of time. And, if by some miracle they actually qualified, the interest rate was sky-high – another monthly payment was definitely out of the question – they couldn’t afford to pay it along with all their other bills.
The only thing they could do was bite the bullet and use the cash they had to get their car fixed. Fortunately, the couple would be left with just enough to get caught up on their electric bill. But, it wasn’t enough to pay the past-due water bill and send C.J. on the school field trip.
“Well, we’re right back to square one, Cindy. I’m sorry about making Christina Jean skip the school outing – I know she was really looking forward to it.”
“It’s not your fault, Jim. I just wish we could send C.J. somehow.”
“Listen, when we get home, I’ll rework the numbers and we’ll see how it all shakes out. But I’ve got to tell you, a little quick math in my head doesn’t change anything. I don’t see a way we can swing it and still put food on the table.”
Back at home with their car fixed, and little cash left over, the couple poured over their budget and the figures just didn’t add up. No matter how they worked the numbers, they’d have to sacrifice something and the only practical one was C.J.’s field trip. Otherwise, they’d be without electricity, running water, and groceries.
“Do we really have to pay the overdraft fee, Jim?”
“Well, yeah. There’s no way around it, Cindy.”
“What if we withdraw everything from our checking? Then, the bank can’t take it out of our account.”
“We’d have to empty both the checking and savings. Because if we withdraw all our cash from checking, the bank will just siphon the overdraft from our savings. And, if we take out all of it from both accounts, we’ll have a negative balance and be in danger of the bank closing out those accounts. Then, we’ll be stuck without a checking account! We have to pay the overdraft and figure something else out.”
Cindy could clearly see the numbers did not fly. Her husband was right, there just wasn’t a way they could afford to keep the electricity and water on, without having to keep their daughter home. It was heartbreaking and being subjected to yet another disappointment didn’t help matters. She grabbed her purse and pulled out a tissue, all she could do now was cry in frustration.
“Please don’t cry, this isn’t going to last forever, we’ll get back to where we were one day, I promise,” he consoled, giving her a hug and cleverly hiding the fact that he was also in tears. “How about some dinner? While we have some cash, I’ll go pick C.J. up from school and stop by the grocery store. What do you say? What do you feel like having? We’ll keep it inexpensive – spaghetti, grilled cheese, or hot dogs?”
“I don’t care, I’m really not all that hungry.”
Jim understood his wife’s apathy. If he was being completely honest, he didn’t have much of an appetite either because his stomach was in knots. The constant stress and worry was an unforgiving diet and until things turned around, they’d both continue to lose weight for all the wrong reasons.
So, he made another strategic suggestion, chicken strips with mac and cheese. It was one of their daughter’s favorites – a true kid-pleaser. Although they didn’t particularly care for it, she’d eat every bite on her plate and the leftovers would make another tasty dinner the following night – a nice way to save a few bucks when times were tight.
Waiting outside C.J.’s school, Jim took the opportunity to check in with his hourly job, phoning his manager, who gave him the news the former executive didn’t want to hear, “I’m sorry, Jim, but the company has put a hard freeze on all promotions. In fact, I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but corporate has sent out a directive to cut all employee hours.”
The blindside was so shocking, it threw Jim into an outright state of panic. Now, trembling uncontrollably, he fumbled his phone, trying to hastily open his side gig app, and immediately going to the scheduling section. Empty. Not even a single job was listed.
Devastated and at his wit’s end, he angrily struck the steering wheel several times. Then threw his phone onto the passenger’s seat, took a deep breath, and pulled himself together as C.J. started walking toward the car. Just as she opened the door and sat down, a huge rainstorm erupted as they drove off.
“How was school today, kiddo?”
“Oh, all right. Nothing exciting. Just a regular day.”
“Hmmm. So, not a lot to tell me, then, huh?”
“Nope.”
“Well, we’ve got to stop by the grocery store and pick up some dinner.”
Although he put on a facade, Jim’s despondency grew bigger and bigger. How could he tell Cindy? She didn’t need a shred of more bad news. Then, there was the matter of the field trip, any hope of sending C.J. just disappeared. But, he simply did not have the heart to tell his daughter. Fortunately, he could temporarily get away from the situation as they went into the grocery store.
Stepping up to the deli counter, a friendly man greeted him and C.J., “Hello, folks! How can I help you today?”
“Well, this little lady would like a chicken strip dinner and some mac-and-cheese.”
“Okay, coming right up! Oh, we’ll have to wait a few minutes for the next batch of chicken strips to come out of the frier. Do you mind waiting?”
“No, not at all. Thank you,” Jim responded sheepishly, alerting the man that something was wrong.
“Hey, cutie! Would you like a cookie?”
“Sure! I’d love one!”
“Just follow me over to the bakery and we’ll get you one fresh out of the oven!”
Jim forced a smile, nodding in agreement, “Go ahead, that’s a nice gesture.”
The man led C.J. to the bakery, then introduced her to a woman behind the counter. As she waited for the cookie, she whispered something to the man before he returned back to the deli. He smiled, patted her on the head, and nodded.
When he walked back over, he asked, “It’s one of those days, huh?”
“What?” Jim replied, wondering what was going on.
“I said, it’s one of those days?”
“Oh, yeah, yeah, I suppose so.” He said, still a bit confused.
“Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it will work out. Things have a way of ending up fine.”
Jim sighed, nodded, and replied, “Yeah, I guess they do.”
“It’s work, isn’t it?”
“Work?”
“I don’t mean to be nosey, but I’m usually pretty good at reading people. Seems to me that you’re carrying the whole world on your shoulders.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Not necessarily. But, to me, I’d say I picked it up the moment you stepped up to the counter.”
“Wow! I thought I was hiding it pretty well.”
“My name’s Darrell.”
“Hi, Darrell, Jim.”
“Pleased to meet you, Jim.”
“Same here.”
“I see your daughter is waiting for the sugar cookies over there – not a fan of chocolate chip?”
“Just depends on her mood.”
“So, what about you? What’s your mood?”
“Frankly, it’s lousy. And, you were right, it is work-related.”
“Those situations are always so stressful, Jim. Feel like you have no control.”
“That’s an understatement, Darrell.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yeah. I was a corporate executive. You probably heard of the company – it’s been in the news a lot over the past several months.”
“You mean…”
“Yep. You don’t even have to say the name out loud. Everyone knows what happened and it’s been the biggest scandal since…”
“Say no more, my friend, I understand.”
“Well, when the company blew up, I found that it’s hard to shake its reputation. I applied to every place in the industry and came up empty time and again. So, I had to take an hourly job for much less pay. And, I just learned they’re cutting back.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I truly am because I was in your place a number of years ago.”
“Small world.”
“Yep, I’d say so. I went through almost the exact same thing. After banging my head against the wall, I finally realized I didn’t have to stay in the same industry.”
“So, you weren’t in retail before?”
“Nah. Far from it. But I landed squarely on my feet. Say, it looks like those chicken strips are done, Jim. Good timing – your girl just finished her cookie. You wait right here for a few moments while I wrap this stuff up for you folks!”
“Thanks!”
Darrell walked behind the counter and into the back of the deli. When he reappeared, he was carrying two bags. He handed one to Jim and the other to C.J., explaining, “Now, this is a surprise for your Mommy and Daddy – it’s on the house, no charge. You be a good girl, take it home, and let them open it up!”
“Thank you, Darrell, that’s really nice of you!”
“Oh, no problem. Hey, I think it’s stopped raining!”
“Yeah, sounds like it.”
“Well, it was a pleasure serving you two this afternoon. Say, if you have a moment, why don’t you enter the store’s contest? It’s a drawing for free groceries! All you have to do is leave your name and number.”
“Thanks, Darrell, I really appreciate it!”
“Hope you win, my friend!”
“Wouldn’t that be great? I’d love to catch a break like that!”
Back home, C.J. surprised her mom with the package, “The man at the deli gave me this! Said it’s a special gift for you and Daddy!”
“That’s so sweet!”
Opening the bag, Cindy gasped in delight, “It’s a meal for two, Jim!”
“Wow! That was very nice of Darrell to do!”
“Who’s Darrell?”
“Oh, I think he’s the deli manager at the grocery store. We struck up a little conversation while C.J. and I waited for the food.”
“Yeah! He even got me a cookie from the bakery, Mommy!”
“I hope you didn’t spoil your dinner.”
“No chance! Chicken strips and mac and cheese!”
They sat down at the dining room table, shared a short prayer, then ate together. Jim even forgot about the bad news until just before bed. But, he decided to wait to tell Cindy. He’d speak with his manager again in the morning and see if more hours could be arranged. And, there just might be one or more jobs available from his side gig.
Early the next day, as he dropped C.J. off at school and Cindy at work, he got a phone call, “Yes, I was in the store yesterday.”
“There’s something here for you. Could you stop by and pick it up, Sir?”
“Certainly!”
Enthusiastically, Jim went right to the grocery store, thinking that he may have won the contest. When he got to the customer service counter, a young girl asked how she could help.
“I just received a phone call. Someone told me to come pick something up!”
“Oh yeah, that was me. Here you go!” She said, handing him an umbrella. “You forgot this!”
“Uhm, okay. Thank you.” He said, trying to hide his disappointment. “Say, did anyone win the drawing?”
“Yep! The winner has already been notified!”
“That’s great,” Jim said sheepishly. “If you would, please pass on a message to Darrell. Tell him, ‘Thank you, my family really appreciated the food!’”
“Darrell? Who’s Darrell, Sir?”
“The deli manager.”
“Oh, Darrell. He’s not the deli manager – he’s with corporate – works at the store’s headquarters. He was just in for a little bit yesterday.”
“Huh, my mistake. I just assumed… Anyway, thanks for holding onto this – I’ll need it now that the rainy season is here.”
As Jim began to walk out of the store, the customer service employee stopped him and handed over an envelope. “Sir! Sir! I can’t believe it! I almost forgot to give you this!”
“Okay; thank you!” He replied, puzzled as to why she’d given him a sealed envelope. Not wanting to seem overeager to open it, Jim stuffed it in his pocket and walked out to his car. Closing the door, he quickly tore it open, finding a business card with a line drawn through an 800 number, and a hand-written phone number scribbled above, with a simple note reading, “Give me a call when you get this.”
Jim stared at the card, examining it. Then, dialed the hand-written phone number. It rang once, twice, then three times, and he thought, “Oh well, guess I’ll have to leave a message.” But, after the seventh ring, a familiar voice answered.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Darrell? I just got this number from the card inside the envelope you left at the store yesterday.”
“Jim?”
“Yes, it’s Jim.”
“I’m glad you phoned. I would have gotten your number from the drawing you entered. But, I got busy, and by the time I got back to it, the winner had already been picked and the employees had already thrown the entries out in the trash. So, the card in the envelope was the next best thing!”
“Okay.”
“I’ll tell you why I’m calling. My brother-in-law, he’s an independent, third-party contractor. He worked for that same company for quite a while. Gave me the inside scoop as to what went wrong – a whole play-by-play, if you will. Pretty ugly stuff. Anyway, he knows your name. Tells me you had one of the most stellar reputations in the place. Said you’re highly respected in the industry and people trust you.”
“I know, it hit me like a ton of bricks when the rumors started to fly. A lot of us had absolutely no idea. We were completely and utterly blindsided by the whole thing. It was surreal, to say the least.”
“I bet it did! Really turned my stomach to hear what went on there. I mean, you read about these things, hear them from different places, but you never believe that you’re going to know someone that was caught up in the crossfire.”
“Definitely! It’s a shame that so many good people, innocent people, who didn’t do anything wrong, got hurt.”
“Yep. The ones who dug the hole certainly didn’t stop to think about who else would get covered in the dirt. Those guys were just thinking about themselves. But, I’m sure they’ll have plenty of time to think, what with all the criminal charges they’re facing and I’m sure there’s going to be a wave of civil lawsuits as well.”
“Yeah, I can only hope that justice will be served. But I’m not confident that it will be in the end. Anyway, I have a clean conscience because I wasn’t involved in one iota of it, not a single thing. So, I appreciate you calling to express your condolences and I can’t tell you how grateful my wife and I are for that gift you gave us yesterday – it really made our day!”
“Well, that brings me to the reason I wanted to get in touch with you in the first place. Seems like I can do you one better there, Jim. One of our executives is leaving. His wife works for this big firm and they’re transferring her overseas, which leaves us an opening on our executive team. If you’re interested, I’d love to have you come in and have a little chat with me and my boss. You certainly seem like a good fit and I think you could be a really valuable asset with your experience.”
“That would be great! Sure, I’m happy to have a sit-down!”
“Now, I should tell you, it probably won’t be quite as much as you made before. But, it won’t be off by much. Plus, there’s a nice signing bonus to sweeten the deal!”
“Music to my ears! Listen, Darrell, I can’t begin to thank you enough for this. It’s been so hard on my wife and me. We’ve done our best to keep things as normal as possible for our daughter, but it hasn’t been easy. This will change our circumstances dramatically for the better!”
“I hope so. Does my heart good to help someone out.”
“Well, thanks, again. By the way, if you don’t mind me asking, my daughter, C.J., what was it she whispered to you while you two were standing at the bakery?”
“Oh, that. She told me not to tell you. But, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to let you know. I asked if you were okay and she said, ‘Not really, he’s upset.’ When I asked her what about she told me, ‘My parents can’t afford to send me on the school field trip, but they didn’t want me to be disappointed or feel bad.’”
“She told you that?”
“She sure did. Then, she said something that absolutely floored me. She whispered, ‘I’m not worried. Because my Daddy always does the right thing and he never, ever gives up. I believe in him.’”
