Ella had a daily routine. Every Tuesday and Thursday she did the same thing. She got up around 9:30, got ready, and went to her German class at 11. When the class got out an hour later, she went straight to McDonalds to meet up with her two good friends. She always got there a little early, so she would order and study for her next class until the girls got there.
The manager knew her by name and always knew what she was going to have for lunch; a number 6 with ketchup and mayo only with a dr. pepper to drink. She would get her debit card out before she even walked up to the counter, and it would be ready for her to swipe the card by the time she got up there.
On this day, Ella walked up with her card and smiled to the manager. They carried on a conversation as she swiped her card and waited to enter her pin number. After she entered her pin, she stared at the screen and waited for it to say "Aproved, Thank You," like it always did. But the screen never showed up. Instead, it read "Declined, Code 341."
Ella was shocked. She didn't know what to do. Yea, money had been tight lately, but she had just checked her account balance yesterday and it said she had $300 in her checking account.
She stared at the manager with a puzzled look on her face and then pulled out her cell phone. She called the bank and asked them to explain why her debit card had gotten declined. They proceeded to tell her that her account was overdrawn by $134 and they wouldn't allow her to make anymore transactions until her account was no longer in the negative.
Her rent check had just now gone through and she didn't know it. She had never kept a very good record of her purchases, but this had never happened to her before. She was mortified. She quickly made up an excuse to tell her friend, the manager, and started to walk away. The manager stopped her and handed her the sack of food.
"Just take it," the manager said. "You have to eat."
Ella grabbed the food and thanked the manager. She ate her lunch with her friends and never mentioned the situation. On her way back to school, she called her mom and begged for some money to get her by until she got paid the next Friday. She had never had to ask for money before and she never wanted to either.
Her mother generously offered to send as much as she needed, and explained to Ella that everyone goes through hard times and it's ok to ask for help.
Needless to say, Ella would definitely start keeping better track of her finances. She never wanted to be embarrassed like that again.
The manager knew her by name and always knew what she was going to have for lunch; a number 6 with ketchup and mayo only with a dr. pepper to drink. She would get her debit card out before she even walked up to the counter, and it would be ready for her to swipe the card by the time she got up there.
On this day, Ella walked up with her card and smiled to the manager. They carried on a conversation as she swiped her card and waited to enter her pin number. After she entered her pin, she stared at the screen and waited for it to say "Aproved, Thank You," like it always did. But the screen never showed up. Instead, it read "Declined, Code 341."
Ella was shocked. She didn't know what to do. Yea, money had been tight lately, but she had just checked her account balance yesterday and it said she had $300 in her checking account.
She stared at the manager with a puzzled look on her face and then pulled out her cell phone. She called the bank and asked them to explain why her debit card had gotten declined. They proceeded to tell her that her account was overdrawn by $134 and they wouldn't allow her to make anymore transactions until her account was no longer in the negative.
Her rent check had just now gone through and she didn't know it. She had never kept a very good record of her purchases, but this had never happened to her before. She was mortified. She quickly made up an excuse to tell her friend, the manager, and started to walk away. The manager stopped her and handed her the sack of food.
"Just take it," the manager said. "You have to eat."
Ella grabbed the food and thanked the manager. She ate her lunch with her friends and never mentioned the situation. On her way back to school, she called her mom and begged for some money to get her by until she got paid the next Friday. She had never had to ask for money before and she never wanted to either.
Her mother generously offered to send as much as she needed, and explained to Ella that everyone goes through hard times and it's ok to ask for help.
Needless to say, Ella would definitely start keeping better track of her finances. She never wanted to be embarrassed like that again.
posted by valerieh @ 1:56 PM
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