Goodwill Towards Man

It is bone chilling cold. That wet cold that permeates your tissue and goes into the joints. A dull ache is my constant companion. Ibuprofen, Tylenol and aspirin are my best friends. I rotate the use of each and lean more towards the aspirin, fearing damage to my liver and kidneys.

It is bearable and I manage to distract myself at the sewing machine. Some days I can get so involved in watching a project come to life that time just seems to slip away and I am always surprised to discover the day is gone and it is dark outside. And that is my excuse for not calling the bank with any consistency.

What bank? Let's see .......... it all started when a man came in to inquire about staying here on a monthly basis while working in the area. He was a nice man. His camper was nice and he went on to tell me that he owned a roofing company and had FEMA contracts. He told me all about his family and his different business endeavors. One little problem he had, was that he would not have money until the 1st of the month and needed to occupy the site right away, figuring he would be here for the next 6 months or so.

He gave me a check for the full amount and asked that I hold it until the first of the month, only a week away. Seemed like a plan. As the first of the month approached, he confided that the check would probably bounce and that he would simply bring cash .......

Yes, I was getting that feeling, but did not want to deposit the check and have an additional fee for the return. I waited, watching daily to try to find this seemingly "nice" man present in the park to collect my money. He told me he was merely supervising the jobs, since he had recently had surgery for a broken neck. He had a scar and everything, including a back story about the incident. He was selling some cows and had an inexperienced helper with him. He was behind the cow in the stall and his helper was playing with the cow prod in the cow's face ..... causing the cow to kick the back of the stall out and trample the guy, breaking his neck. He had scars on his face and his story seemed plausible. Even to one as skeptical as me.

He never showed up with the money, but you already guessed that. Unable to reach him by phone, I had left a note on his door. He called and told me that one of the pins in his neck had dislodged and he had been in the hospital, apologized profusely and told me the check was good and to go ahead and "run it through".

Our bank called his bank and was told the funds were not there. So, we have been calling almost daily. No more, though. The account has been closed and the phone number is no longer any good. He is gone. So is my goodwill towards man. I wonder about the broken neck/cow story. Maybe the "cow" was a bill collector?