Parents often become the victims of their children

Friends even become the victims of their friends.

Many of our members have told me about horrible experiences they’ve had with their friends or children, and I think it’s important that especially all those with adult children are made aware of these things.

To avoid embarrassing anyone I’ve changed the names of people and places, but the people I’m talking about will recognise themselves immediately. There will probably be many others who’ve been made victims in a similar way who will also recognise the situation immediately with painful memories.

Johnny du Preez is a 37-year-old man from Roodepoort who has already been divorced twice and has also had many other relationships that have failed. He’s had numerous different jobs, as well as several failed businesses. Johnny is the stereotypical born loser, who will always be battling. He has borrowed money from several family members in the past and has never paid it back. He has a brother-in-law in Durban whom he has cheated out of a lot of money already. Because of that, this man wants nothing to do with Johnny.

Johnny’s father, Dup, is 67 years old and lives in Durban, where he works for his son-in-law because he has no other option – Dup didn’t make provision for retirement when he was still young. Isn’t that the problem with many young people? They think that getting old and battling are old people’s problems. Until they’re old themselves!

At least Dup does have a small townhouse that’s almost paid off, and as long as his son-in-law keeps taking care of him, he won’t have any worries. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

But Johnny struck again, and Dup’s old age is no longer looking that rosy. A year ago Johnny convinced his father to lend him R300 000. At first Dup didn’t want to, but Johnny played on his emotions and said that any father would do this for his son and he himself would gladly do it for his own children any time if he could. Johnny swore that he would pay the interest every month and that he would repay the full amount within six months. Dup gave .........................

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