In early September 2007, my mum met with an accident.
The results from the Traffic Police took a good 3-6 months to come out.
What follows thereafter was getting compensation from the car driver's insurer.
It was a nightmare which a good friend had prepared me for.
My friend's husband met with an accident some years back involving a bus company.
According to her, what follows was long delays, many phone calls and emails, before the bus company finally made the offer.
And even then, it was a meagre sum.
Feeling unhappy and unjustified, they took the case to the MP (Member-of-Parliament).
What happens after that was that the bus company paid up very fast and even double the amount of compensation!
Strange, isn't it?
That companies can suddenly become so efficient and generous.
Anyway, coming back to my mum.
The insurer of the car driver came over to my place to file a report for claims.
As an observer, I can see very clearly that he and his manager are using the good guy / bad guy technique, and he's playing the role of the good guy.
But I must say he's very good.
Good at sweet talking, that is.
He was such a sweet talker, and so good at sweetening my mum that she was led into the 'tiger's mouth' without her knowledge.
Anyway, in February 2008, we received the Traffic Police result.
As instructed by 'good guy', we faxed a copy to him so that his manager can prepare for the compensation offer.
I spoke to the manager who told me the letter of offer would be sent off in a week's time cos' it takes a few days to prepare.
March came and went, but not the offer letter.
It was only in early April when I checked with my mum did she then tell me she didn't receive it.
Not able to get hold of the manager, I made a call to good guy.
He sms back with the offer amount, claiming that a letter of offer dated Mid-March was sent to my mum's place.
I double-checked with my mum and she denied.
I sms good guy, informing him and asking if they could resend the letter, putting down my mum's address in the sms.
However, not getting any reply from him, the next day I called the manager again, double-checking that they got the right address etc, and asking if they could resend the offer letter, and how soon we could receive it so that my mum can keep a look-out for it.
Again the manager said it'll take a few days to prepare the letter, and earliest we could receive it was the following week.
Still, a week later, the letter did not come.
That night, I had an insight to what's happening.
Smiling to myself, I told myself that it's a good thing I've got plenty of patience.
The next day, I called good guy and told him that the 2nd letter did not arrive.
He sounded worried.
Anxious, sympathetic and concern even.
That's when I told him if he would be so kind to hand-deliver it since this is the 2nd time it has happened.
He was caught off-guard, but recovered fast enough to agree.
That's when he asked me if I received his sms on the offer amount, and what do we think of it.
"Ah........the wolf is finally showing his tail," I thought.
I said yes, but my mum would like to see the letter first.
I reiterated that if he would be so kind as to hand-deliver the letter cos' both times their side claimed that they've sent it out, yet my mum's side did not receive it, then I suppose obviously the problem lies with the Post Service then.
But by him hand-delivering the offer letter, we can be very sure that we'll receive it this time.
That's when he asked me, twice the letter had gone missing, if we got the offer letter, and if we do decide to accept the offer, what if the cheque got lost in the mail, too?
(Ah-ha! Gotcha! You're finally revealing the strategy of your game.)
Patiently I told him I am just as concerned as he and that then I'm afraid he'll have to make another trip of hand-delivering the cheque, too.
He was very unhappy, but still playing the good guy role, he reluctantly agreed.
The next day my mum came, telling me she still has not received the offer letter.
I told my mum the letter isn't coming, what happened, and the 'games' they were playing.
Fortunately, my mum agreed to just accept the amount they offered, and not be sucked into their control dramas and political games.
That evening, good guy came to my place with a photocopy of the offer letter, saying he'll bring the original letter only with the cheque; highlighting, indicating and emphasizing to me to read the terms and conditions on the indemnity/discharge voucher.
It's sad and scary to think that this guy during our 1st meeting boasts that he was from the police force for a good 30-40 odd years, and that we should trust and believe him. That in the whole of Singapore, he's the only one who's familiar with such cases, that he knows his stuff.
Well, I'm sure he does.
All that I know is,
People, companies etc who are employing such tactics of deception,
I urge you to be careful -
Cos' whatever suffering and inconvenience you cause to others, next time, other people will cause the same suffering and inconvenience to you.
And the effects will be multiplied.
Whatever you throw out will always come back to you.
The boomerang will find you,
Someday, somewhere, somehow,
( Read Boomerang Effect Part 1 - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/06/boomerang-effect-part-1.html
& Part 2 - http://maitre-light.blogspot.com/2007/06/boomerang-effect-part-2.html)
Cos' what goes around comes around.
As Newton says, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
Why?
Simply because The Universal Law of Kamma is very real.
They would most certainly be horrified at evil kamma and stay away from it, the same as they dare not touch fire.
They would also be eager to do good which has the power of cooling and which results in happiness.
There would not then be so much trouble and misery as there is in the world today."
- Venerable Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno
"Not in the sky, nor in mid-ocean,
Nor in a mountain cave,
Is found that place on earth
Where abiding,
One may escape from (the consequences of)
One's evil deed."
- The Buddha, Dhammapada verse 127
"We are what we were
And we will be what we are."
"Today is yesterday's tomorrow; and tomorrow's yesterday.
So focus on today - For today is the cause of ALL our tomorrows -
ie. The acts we do today affects ALL of our tomorrows."
"As you sow, so you shall reap."
- The Buddha
"As long as an evil deed does not affect the fool,
He thinks it is honey.
But when it affects him,
That's when he comes to grief."
- The Buddha
"There is NO power superior to that of Kamma (which goes beyond the grave)."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun.
.
"I am the owner of my kamma.
Heir to my kamma.
Born of my kamma.
Related to my kamma.
Abide supported by my kamma.
Whatever kamma I shall do,
Whether good or evil,
Of that I shall be the Heir."
- The Buddha, the last of the 5 Daily Remembrances.
"Beings are the owners of their kamma, and the results of their kamma belong to them ALONE."
- The Buddha .
.
"One has the right to make Kamma,
But Kamma (also) has the right to bring results back to one."
- The Buddha
