Please Kindly and Clearly Tell Me Your…Price?

This post is something that I’ve been thinking for 5 days before I decided to post it here because it’s quite sensitive topic, I don’t know if something like this will bother you or not, but it does bother me.

I got a chance to write for a specialist city travel guide website about few months ago, with contract term, not permanent. I got paid for how many guide I made. Since it was new to me, I enjoyed working on it. I finished it. Then, the problem arose when I about got my payment, not from the one that I had worked with, but from my friend who lent me his account to receive an international payment. I don’t have a credit card, so I couldn’t verify mine to be able to receive any payment. I just had three options that time; make my own credit card, which meant need more time and I wasn’t sure whether I’d get one. The second choice was looking for a rental account, which meant if the worst thing would come, I would deal with fraud and in the end, I would get nothing, and last brazenly asked for someone’s reliable account and then gratefully treat s/he something good.

So, I thoughtfully considered my three options. First I browsed the entire possible rental account in Indonesia, asked anyone who’d been using it so many times, but in the end, I didn’t choose it because I still didn’t believe in the system. The price wasn’t that much, which made me question it more, so I decided to ask my friend’s account (unashamedly). Fortunately this friend agreed and kindly offered his account. I was happy and grateful to his kindness, when I first initiated asking his account I already had thing in my mind that I would treat him something good, exactly not gave some cash because I don’t put price tag on act of kindness. It’s priceless, un-returnable. But it would be different if he clearly said it was a business.

Fast-forward, we made the deal, then he joked about wanting more than 10% of my payment when I got one (what I thought was a joke). Then I said, “Really? Do you want it? It costs me more than 10% of my payment? If you turn this into a business, let’s count it, 5% is all can offer to you because the real rental cost is much lower than that. I’ll give you more because I don’t feel right to pay you less, besides that, your account is more trust-able than the rental one.” I added. He said, “No Yuna, it was a joke, it’s okay. What do you take me for?” Then I replied, “Okay, I’ll treat you something good, whatever you want to eat.” Settled.

Fast-forward, the payment finally had arrived, when we checked on his account he exchanged the currency rate to rupiah, then said (while smiling) that he still wanted 10% from the payment. I was surprised, I thought his smile said it was a joke, but his whole expression said no, it was confusing, whether he wanted it or didn’t. Then I bravely once again said, “Honestly, if this turns into business like our first conversation, I can’t give you 10%, that too much from my point of view, you get few times more than the rental one, I can give you 5%. It’s not much not less for a business. Finally he said, “Relax, you can do it later.” And there I was thought the word still floating in the air. I decided to give it bit more than 5%. I don’t like to be in debt though.

Done with the deal, but not my thoughts. Honestly, it left me shock even now. I question my own sincerity and my character, whether I was sincere all of this time or not. I became someone bad by counting all the things that I’d done to him. First, I thought by offering money while asking his help would offend him since I felt the same if I was in that condition, so I thought treats him something fancy would be much better because we both love trying various foods nearby. I thought we were colleague.

Second, I thought I wasn’t in un-reciprocal relationship (yes, I know I wasn’t completely sincere back than), shall I re-count how many times this guy asked the same thing to me with my bank account? Even on fussy thing like sending her sisters money, his mom, his someone’s, transfer here, transfer there, transfer vouchers, and others. Few times. No transfer fee, no additional fee, no treat. No. Just excluded that small sum of money compared to the relationship we had. I’d never asked one, I’d never thought once. Even in the future (if I have to do it again). But, I was really surprise and speechless with what he just did to me. Even now, I’ve never thought of asking sum cash for lending service to my friend. I just can’t do it. My human relationship doesn’t work that way. No. It cost him nothing anyway by lending me the account. I know none of us was right since I gave his payment with these thoughts (in the end he said that he deserved it since I did pretty well on my payment) and wrote it here, and I also feel that it wasn’t right for him to vaguely do business.

Picture from here

Argh, please tell me honestly what do you think about this or me? Have you encountered something like this?