Holiday Mishap Brings Father on the Brink of Separating Twins

Bill sits pensively in his living room armchair, thinking about the impending future. He has only so much left of his earnings. This festive season has been harder on him than he had contemplated.

Between being forced to host the family over Christmas yet again, (he is now the head of the family since his father passed away three years ago), and having to contribute to the unexpected death of Baba Ezekiel, the revered church elder, Bill’s savings have taken a serious walloping.

To be honest, he didn’t really mind hosting Christmas at his place, as it meant that his children were able to spend Christmas with their cousins, aunts, and uncles; and he quite liked continuing the tradition of nurturing a sense of community within his family. 

Wine glasses on a table

He just wished some of his siblings would have, at least, tried to contribute to the cost of the festivities. And as the family grew with the passing of the generations, it meant there were more mouths to feed, and with that, more money to be spent, not to mention additional idiosyncrasies to satisfy.

He had tried to bring up the subject of the expense of hosting Christmas every year with mama, but she just looked at him wide-eyed, appalled that he would even consider asking his family to pay for their food at Christmas.

He turns his gaze back to the TV that has been on mute the whole time, hoping to distract himself from the thought currently tormenting him. “I can only afford to take one of my children to school. The other is going to have to be left behind until I can figure something out.”

He takes a sip of beer and shakes his head as if he could literally shake the thought out of his mind. He forces himself to focus on what is on TV - a reality show of some sort, with lousy characters complaining about problems he could only dream of having. He switches it off. Reflexively he looks down at his phone, a habit he thinks he needs to stop doing ever so often. 

He begins to browse the internet, instinctively searching for solutions on Google, looking and hoping for any kind of means to get some money, instead of having to break the God-awful news to his twin girls. 

Between bouts of closing and opening new tabs, a Co-op ad banner pops up. He is introduced to the MCo-op Cash app that offers loans to all Co-operative Bank account holders. If there is one thing he now feels grateful for, it is that his father had taught him the importance of setting up and maintaining a bank account. 

He quickly exits Google and goes ahead to download the app onto his phone. All he needs to register for MCo-op Cash is a valid ID or Passport number, information about his account with a Co-op branch, and soon he is able to log into MCo-op Cash and apply for his loan! 

It is far simpler than he initially feared. He thought it would have required him to visit the bank and provide numerous documents, and then wait an inexplicably long time, only to be told “no” because of reasons x and y. 

He smiles to himself as he thinks about how far technology has come, and how easy it has become to take out a loan, in comparison to his own school days, when his father had to endure long waiting periods after coffee payments ran late.

Back to school

With this new loan, Bill is able to take out a necessary loan to help pay school fees for both his children. They would now both be able to go to school, and he is spared the impossible conversation about why one child deserves to study more than the other. 

And with a hansome upper limit of the loan, Bill is not only able to pay their school fees but also purchase the necessary textbooks and the uniform they need to go back to school as well.

He can regain his smile now, his problems alleviated, knowing that his daughters could go to school for another year. MCo-op Cash app has really saved the day.

He places his phone down on the side table next to him and chuckles as he thinks to himself;

Next year's Christmas will be at, Margaret’s house. I’ll make sure of it.

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