The Case Against L, the Prequel

A couple of months before we all went "home" to get Mom's house ready to sell, I called my sister L. It was May. I know because it was around her birthday. We talked about plans for the week together and at some point she said their family car was going to need repairs before they could make the trip. She said she was thinking of asking Mom for the money, since "she's helped K out so many times in the past."

I told her it never hurts to ask.

Months went by, and nothing was said about the car repairs.

A short time before we were all scheduled to travel, L sent an e-mail to all of us, saying she didn't think they'd be able to make the trip, as their car suddenly needed repairs and they couldn't afford to have them done.

At some point she asked our oldest sister J if she thought Mom would be willing to pay for the repairs, which would cost at least $2000. This is not an amount Mom's accustomed to giving anybody but her church. It was the same amount L told me she'd need for repairs when I spoke to her in May. Now she was pretending as if the car had suddenly gone bad without warning, hoping Mom would step in and pay up.

I don't remember how it all came down, but at some point I asked L if this was the same repair she talked about in May. Around that same time, J talked to Mom who said $2000 was more than she was comfortable paying.

Within a few days, L and her husband found the money for the repairs! They were on their way.