The letter I have been so dreading arrived on Thursday – an envelope with the logo of insurer AAMI in the upper left corner. A warning within. I will be expected to fork out roughly eight and a half thousand dollars for impacting the rear of someone’s car.
I had been expecting a figure of the sort. I’d put big numbers in my head so that I wouldn’t be too shocked when the news came – whilst half hoping it would be somewhat lower…
Well, it may not come as a surprise to you that I don’t have, at this moment, even one per cent of $8,500. Indeed, it’s not all that far below the amount I live on – reasonably happily – per year. I long ago realised that fulfilling my life’s dream and making truckloads of cash were never going to happen simultaneously.
The best I can do with my predicament is – as Helen from the Lion’s Club op-shop in Mt Waverley advised me – not to stress. On Monday, I’m going to get on the phone and work out the best response. Maybe I could pay them five dollars a week for the rest of my life …
Strangely, given my anxious nature, it hasn’t gotten to me all that much. Just another black cloud of potential hanging high above me in the stratosphere. Like hepatitis, I suppose – and the chance that I’ll develop cirrhosis or cancer.
I visited the liver clinic at the Alfred last week. It’s been some time since my last interferon treatment, [I’ve had three,] and I’d been hearing rumours of new medical developments. Alas, nothing that could help me right now.
They are currently trialling a triple therapy, adding a protease inhibitor to the interferon/ribavirin regimen, but are only accepting ‘naïve’ patients. ‘Naïve’ means previously untreated. I am a ‘Relapsing’ patient - I almost cleared the virus, but it rebounded.
My doctor, [Keith Noack,] isn’t terribly upbeat about this new treatment anyway, so it’s no great tragedy that I’m ineligible. I just have to keep doing what I can to mitigate the effects. Diet and exercise…
In truth, despite everything, I’ve had a good week. I’ve done laps almost every day, been walking Polly to school then riding home on the old mountain bike which Lynne recently gave me. I’ve been working diligently on Ambergris, my play, and doing what I can to get myself out of my current [non-$8,500 related] financial pit. This means, as it usually does, getting back on Ebay and selling books. You’ll find me there under the name of Lampsucker.
4 comments:
I feel for you. I must stop crying about my $110 parking fine this week! (parked there 2 mins before loading zone finished.)
Make your 1981 diary (or diaries from that general era) into a book. It would be marvellous reading for many and may make you some money to pay off that large debt.
are you absolutely sure their car was worth $8000?
what make and model? look it up in Age classifieds to see the going rate
what is the drivers history of prangs?
don't take it lying down!
once I loaned an ex-employee thousands to open his own record shop and when it was a success and repayment was discussed, he fixed it legally so he was paying back $2 per week for decades.
Clink has finance advisors - phone immediately - you have nothing to lose and can apply your main resource - Time.
make a counter claim that it was his fault and it has exacerbated your illness.
get his immigration application - there will be lies on it that legally require him to be deported.
Onward and Upward!
I agree with David. Im about to teach podcasting to kids and found there's a terrible shortage of imaginative short stories to download, a gap that needs filling.. just an idea. I am excited though by the idea of kids recording their stories, creating the music for it and encouraging them to listen to others. Could be a challenge :) SK should take this up too. Chin up Sam! Im sure you can come to some arrangement to pay it off. Good luck with it.
love S x
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