Most of the time, we should be able to manage family relationships and especially extended family relationships. We are not saying it is not good to help, but try to strike a balance where such help won’t interfere with your well being.
Here is a story of a young man, a bachelor who found himself in an indecisive state of managing his welfare with an announced visit of his relative’s two boys.
Read his story below;
I am a hustling young Nigerian and although I am comfortable, I can’t afford to cater for another. One of my relations from the village visited me last 3 weeks here in Calabar. I don’t really know him well but I have met him just once in a meeting back in the village.
He came with his 2 boys of 7 and 11 years, begging me to take one and school him while he helps me with house duty. As I am a Bachelor I declined and said I did not have money and also did not need a help. He begged that they can’t even see food to eat and such things but I still refused. I don’t even know how he got my address. I allowed them to sleep over since it was late and told him to go back the next day.
When the next day came (a Saturday) he said I should let him go to the ATM to get money to transport them back to the village. He left the boys and went out. Afternoon came and I started getting worried as he had not returned. He wasn’t picking calls until 10pm when he called me and said I should not be angry that let the boys just do holiday in my house, that he will pick them the next day and then switched off his phone.
I haven’t been able to reach him since then. He just disappeared and abandoned his sons with me. It’s over 15 days now. I have called people, nobody knows his whereabouts. Nobody in the village agreed to collect the boys. They said he and the family moved to PH years ago. The boys are finishing my food and they are not telling me where they live. I even threatened to throw them out but they still refused to talk. I am just confused and angry. What do I do? this man has disorganized my life.
Really, we have to help people in need, but we shouldn’t go out of our way and eventually inconvenient ourself.
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