Drama!

I forgot to pay my electricity bill. For two months I forgot. I don’t pay it the easy way, online, like I did back in the US. I don’t mail it in. I have to go to one of their offices, stand in line and pay in cash. Pain in the butt.

I’m not great at paying any of my bills here. For the same reasons; I forget or I just don’t feel like going through the hassle.

Well, that’s not a good excuse with the Electricity Board. After they send you a Red Notice and the bill goes unpaid, they send two thugs out to turn your electricity off.

I know this because that’s what happened this morning. Except the skinny thug told me he wanted to ‘Check your meter.’ Not disconnect it.

‘Check it?’ I asked. ‘Or disconnect it?’

Mr. Skinny lied again. ‘Check your meter,’ he repeated, while the heavy one barged through the garage toward the meter.

‘Stop!’ I shouted. Mr. Heavy stopped. ‘Go outside!’ I yelled at both of them.

I didn’t like two strangers coming onto my property; especially ones who were trying to trick me. I was angry and a little scared so I rushed inside and let my BIG dog, Toby, out. It took less than two huge barks before the thugs ran out of the garage. Good dog, Toby. If they wouldn’t listen to me, they certainly listened to Toby.

From the safety of their tuk tuk, Skinny shouted that he was going to call the main office. I shut the garage door on them, saying, ‘I’m paying today!’

An urgent call to Lipton produced a rash of curses. ‘You can’t do that! You can’t mess with them, they’re the government! They’ll arrest you!’

I waited anxiously for Lipton to get home and go pay the bill. He came and went. Just in case the thugs got the electricity cut, I turned off the computer and sat on the couch, wondering if I could sic Toby on the cops.

Tip for the day: Avoid drama. Don't be lazy - pay your bills on time! I know I’m going to!

The all-important Red Notice!

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