My Yellow Umbrella

So, I woke up today totally oblivious to what is coming. The heavy ominous shadows that greeted the morning sky, was a harbinger of yet another stormy day, and I thought to myself, while sipping my bitter morning coffee, that only a fool will go out in a day such as this. And I prepared myself for a day of quite studying, my cell phone switched off, probably much to the chagrin of my relatives.
Then a loud knock outside!!
A strange man stood outside with papers in his hand. So, my Monday began....

Yeah, ahem, cough, ...I have been falling behind in paying my electricity bills, so I was being served a warning notice that if I don't pay the bill by today, my electricity will be cut off. Sigh!!
So, I grabbed my jacket and headed out in the crazy storm that had already stared lashing in great volumes.
Yeah, my trusty ole yellow umbrella, however best it tried, was no match against the raging storm outside. Battered and dejected, the limp umbrella I was holding onto for my dear life in that terrifying storm reminded me of a severely wounded soldier in a losing battle, my poor ole umbrella....

So, after paying the electric bill, I darted into the mall nearby, seeking shelter, hoping for the storm to abate...I was feeling sorry for myself since paying the bills this month really put a dent in my pocket yet again, and I was also completely drenched head to toe. So, I sat at McDonald sipping their coffee, and cursing my bad fortune while laughter filled the air around me.
I was surprised to see how crowded the mall was today, as if the whole damn town were seeking refuge from the storm in this already cramped little mall. However, everyone seemed to be in a cheerful mood, and having a ball of time. There was a general conviviality in the air, and everyone seemed happy to get this seemingly stolen time to be around one another.

Anyway, remember, in September, I wrote about sitting with a relative all the day at the hospital? Well that madam turned to be fine, but that day in the hospital I had given a few hundred dollars out of my pocket for the old dame, money that I had set aside for bills and such. She had made it out that her health condition was an emergency, and I gave the money without a second thought, knowing I will not be see the money, but as long she was in good health, I left it at that.

Now, today at the mall, I suddenly started following her around for 3 floors, pleading for at least some of the money back, she has the means to give it but just didn't want to. And she started screaming abusive words back, saying how much she had done for me over the years and that I was being ungrateful for asking the money. I started feeling like a biblical character pleading back for the money given out to others. Anyway, she got it wrong, I was the one who was always there for her, doing all her errands and such.
Uncle Bas had given me this same treatment too when I asked about what he did with the sale of my dad's business couple of years before. Now, mind you, I have really rich retiree relatives, many of them, so I don't understand their monetary and materialistic obsessions.

Anyway I managed to get back nearly 1/2 of the money I gave her in September finally. If not, I will have to go the bank tomorrow digging my depleting savings, which I didn't want to.

So, the storm finally rescinded for a short while, and I grabbed the opportunity to dash back home with my trusty ole umbrella. I took one last look back as I was leaving, and realized the rest of the mall crowd was not ready leave just yet!!

Anyway, a part of me felt bad for asking back the money. I had genuinely given it out in the first place, because I knew my relative was really scared about her health that day. One should never ask money given out for such purposes especially to family.