My Contractor Lied

Friday January 16

Jayne got up early today and feels better. I’m very glad about that.

I got a call from Galo, my former Contractor, and he asked me for a favor. He would like to borrow the drawing for the apartments that the architect gave me. he said that he has a customer would like to build four apartment. I told him I need the originals to show clients as this is a big selling point. He said he’d make a copy and give them back to me. I said ok, but I’ll be at the internet at the mall but he can stop by and pick them up from Jayne.

What I did right away was take pictures of the plans in case it’ll be a long time before I get them back. Then Jayne and I discussed it. We thought better to take those digital pictures and put them on a CD and let him make copies from that.

The reason for this is, we hope to have customers come and look at the property real soon as the ad will be in the newspaper tomorrow. It’s better to show them the originals. With Galo’s history there were times he was supposed to be here and he wasn’t. Also it could be a couple of weeks before he gets around to bringing them in the first place. And they can be dirty and torn when they are returned.

If Galo stops by my home first Jayne will tell him to go to the mall. If he comes here first I’ll give him the CD. From there he can make photos from them, or if he needs the original size he can go to another place to get them printed in large format. If the client has an email address he can email them and blow them up on the computer – which would be better for him. But in no way will I give the originals. Jayne and I have too much experience with Ecuadorians!

When I got to the restaurant the manager, Pablo, told me that the last two days the connection was slow – which is true as when I was here two days ago it was slow. He said he called the Provider to fix the problem.

Now, when I logged on I have no connection. So I’m sitting here doing other things on my computer.

Galo came to the restaurant and said he was sorry that he was late (what else is new). I gave him the CD and told him that he can print out the pictures or email them to his client. He said he needed the originals. I said that we need them to show clients as this is a good selling point. He said that they are his. I told him that he told us that they are free. He said no. and I said, “You told me they are free. That the architect did it for free. He repeat “No. I paid the architect to do it.” and that he needs them. I said ok. He said he’ll be back.

Another problem with Ecuadorians. Here is someone that I thought was trustworthy and he did help us out then he says something like this?

I called Jayne up and told her about this. She was furious, too. These people can’t be trusted in what they tell you.

I was about to eat when Galo came in. since the internet was not working, I didn’t stay long after I ate. Well, Galo didn’t come back from his meeting by the time I left. So I expect him to come to the house to pick up the original plans. Now these plans are not blueprints but simply drawings of what the apartments would look like.

While at the restaurant I did a search on my Diary. I did a search of “architect” and sure enough I found that I had written back on November 3 that the architect, Mario, made the first set of plans free and the second set for free, too. I remember him saying that he enjoys doing it.

There is proof, and you can go back on this Blog and see it.

I told Jayne that this reminded me of an old American saying: “Don’t be an Indian giver.” I said this is probably over 400 years old. There is truth in this. She had heard of this before and she laughed.

The Indians have been noted for giving you something and later wanting it back. So, it must be the same with South American Indians, too.

Then I thought of this and I told Jayne about Joanna who gave us the wedding magazines and said we could keep them. Then a few days after we cancelled doing business with her she called up to say she has a customer who needs them (you can read this on an earlier entry of this Diary). I told her that she said that she gave them to us, and she said, “No I didn’t.” I told her yes you did. Then later I wrote her that she can take it out of the $200 she kept as a deposit.

Notice how “ironic” that these people have a customer just a few days later. With Galo, it was a few days after I told him that I’m selling the property.

They are just liars.

Galo didn’t show up at our home and neither did he call. This is typical, but I do expect him to call another time to get them.

As it turned out, Galo didn’t show up or call to say he couldn’t make it.

Jayne and I talked to Mathieu this evening. Jayne told him that she couldn’t make it and that she was real sorry that she couldn’t come. She feels nausea now and has a stomach ache. Then I talked to him and answered his questions about Tarquin.

Mathieu told me that after he invited Tarquin to his farm to stay and to stay as long as he wanted, he said that Amparo was against this. (He told Tarquin this this past Sunday.) He agreed with her and said that he does not want to get involved ‘harboring a fugitive’. Matt told me that it was a bad idea to have Tarquin here. And that I could get in trouble.

When I told Jayne this we both thought that this was wrong of Matt and Amparo. Imagine them saying that!

Well, Mathieu and Amparo are wrong on several points.

1 – First and foremost is that Tarquin is NOT a fugitive. He has not be charged nor are they looking for him for questioning. He was told by his lawyers that this will probably happen next week so the lawyer suggested that he leave the country now.

2 – The police would have no idea that he was here. After all, how can they if he’s not wanted.

3 – How can they prove that we know that he’s wanted? He’s a friend, and we can prove this, and it’s common for one friend to put up another friend.

4 – IF he was wanted during this time the government would have to arrest everyone who met Tarquin during this time, which includes: his lawyer, the lawyer’s assistant, Tarquin’s wife, and his two managers.

Some people we call friends are really not friends when you are in trouble. Many times you don’t find this out until it’s too late. A friend is to help another friend in need. So you can sometimes find this about your friends when you hear them talk about what they would do or wouldn’t do in a certain situation. If that’s the way a friend is, keep in mind if you are in a situation like this that you don’t tell them a damn thing about your legal or possible legal problems!