A worse case where money CAN change people.

I’m sure you know the saying that money change people. When people are poor they’re humble, know their place, and suddenly money felt out of the sky and they went for all the good things, forgot about their past life and think they can do things to other people because they have cash. Just the other day I had the strangest experience where someone can change 180 degrees because of money.

There’s this guy I knew, and I’ve worked with him a couple of occasions and both were not a good experience. I decided that I’m not going to work with him anymore, but due to pressing situation last week I had to. So I called him up and said what I needed, which was labor.

The day ended and I had to pay the daily labor. The guy wasn’t around. I thought it was good, that way the workers get their full pay for the day and won’t get cut. I hate the idea of paying someone for doing nothing.

The following day I still used the same labor. And lo and behold, later in the afternoon the guy went crazy and screamed I should pay him and not directly to the workers, and also said just because you have money you can’t do that.. HUH?? What does that have to do with anything? I had to bite my tongue because there were a lot of people, including my boss. He later pushed me and that really got me but luckily I didn’t hit him. Javanese would say “sing waras ngalah”, which literally means the sane one should back off.

He left. But apparently still wasn’t happy so he called me again. I said fine he could come to collect the money. When he showed up he repeated what he already said, which becoming really boring. And at a point I raised my voice and said he can’t do that to me either, pushing me and has no respect to a woman.

During that process I arranged payment, and the minute he has the cash in his hand he was a totally different person. He even apologized. But that’s about it. I promised him I’ll never call him again for a job, and this time I intend to keep it.