Wednesday this week I was between a workshop and a research group when I got a distressed call from the 12 year old. She was crying, verging on hysteria. So in my usual gentle mothering style, I barked down the phone ”For god’s sake breathe! I can’t understand a word you’re saying!”
Eventually I managed to get that she’s returned some videos she’d taken out a couple of weeks ago and copped a $40 fine. I also established that she’d had her wallet and paid the fine with her own money. She was now standing outside our house saying ‘Dad’s going to kill me”.
‘No he won’t. Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll call him.’
I hang up and call my partner and tell him to be kind (because I’m so sympathetic!!).
When I get home, he tells me he called the video store on her behalf to say $40 was pretty steep.
‘Actually, it was $120 and we reduced it to $40,’ the video guy says.
‘Oh. Okay. Thanks.’
So he launches in with another angle.
‘So, if you know there’s a fine clocking up, how come you don’t call or text to remind us?’
‘We usually do sir, but you opted out of that service when you asked us to stop calling.’
‘Oh that’s rights, I did too.’
Game over.
Anyway, I think she’ll remember to return videos on time from now on.
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