What would you do?

Here’s the situation.

You live in Jamaica. A not-so-close friend comes to you to borrow $1,000 JMD to buy food for his family for a week. You don’t really want to lend him because you have debts of your own but he’s quite persistent and assures you that he will pay you back in a month when he gets “a little hustle“.

You don’t ask him what is he going to do or how he’s going to manage the next 3 weeks because you are afraid that he will “tek set” on you.

A lady who loaned you and 2 of your neighbors money, at no interest, the month before is now expecting you to pay it back in 5 weeks, a week after your not-so-close friend is supposed to pay you back. The lady loaned you 100,000, the neighbor facing you $121,000 and the one to the side, $85,000… all JMD.

Next month comes and the lady calls for her money. You need to come to the bed and breakfast that she owned 1/2 mile away and pay it that afternoon. The other two neighbors told her they sold clothes, furniture, and vegetables in order to get the money and paid her. She thanked them and they left.

It is your turn. You don’t have $100,000 JMD to give her. In fact, you only have $2,300 JMD to your name. Your spouse was not working, your utility bills and children school fees are in arrears.

You cried, told her your situation and asked her to give you another 2 months to pay. She asks how will you get it? You said “I will have to get it” with tears in your eyes.

She asked you how much do you have. You reply “2,300 to my name” and she said “give it to me and you owe me nothing… In fact, give me $1,300 and you owe me nothing.“

You thanked her and shook her hands so much they almost fell off and left gratefully.

On the way home, you run into the not-so-close friend who owed you $1,000 and was now a week overdue. To you, it seems like he was trying to “squeechie past” (dodge) you so you call out “Yow my bredren!” which got his attention.

Before you could even ask for the money, he fell to the ground and asked for a couple extra weeks. Things had not gone the way he expected. He couldn’t find a “little hustle” and his father was in the hospital and had no insurance. As he put it “mi deh pon mi face, mi bredren. All I need… is a little more time.… Can you give me 2 weeks?“

In that situation, what is your next move?

1. Beat him down and look for the money in his pockets
2. Tell him “cry me a river” or “crocodile tears won’t help my family, my yute“
3. Threaten him
4. Tell him you want your money before the sun goes down that evening
5. Tell him you will have mercy and want your money in one week flat
6. Tell him “bredren, everybody on dem face. Right now, I am more on my face than you. I need the money.“
7. Take him to court
8. Other ________________________ (please explain)