Paluwagan or pasikipan

It was my first time to join one. It was my husband's distant relative who asked us if we want to join. And since she is a relative, we agreed to join and got two slots. The weekly share is Php150 per slot and take home money is Php3000. Agreed release of money is every other Saturday. It has been 14 weeks that we diligently pay our share and waited for our turn to get our salary.

We plan to use the money to buy uniforms and other school supplies for Joshua. Little did we know that a nightmare is suppose to happen.

Blow by blow event of what happened:

May 7 -  This is the day before we were supposed to get our salary, the husband reminded his relative about it. The relative asked if her mom could swap schedule as the money that was supposed to arrive from their relative abroad for her mom's medicines will be delayed for two weeks. I didn't agree with the idea, I am feeling something fishy going on. The husband told her that we do not agree on the idea but unfortunately, the relative claimed that they have already used the money to buy her mom's medicines.

May 8 - We were pushing the relative to produce the money as we didn't gave our agreement. She just though we agreed. By then, my blood is literally came to its boiling point. The end of the story - we didn't get the money but she promised we could have half of the pot the next week.

May 15 - There is still no money. She even insists that she releases money every other week. I really like to talk to her but the husband forbade me. He told me to let him to do the negotiation with his relative. In short, after all the excuses, we only got Php1100.

May 22 - Finally it was our turn to get the money. She told us that she'll be giving us the money after lunch. Come 3pm, she was giving us alibis that she is outside their home collecting the money from the others who joined. She even advised us to get the money tomorrow instead, Sunday. She was again telling us that she usually release money on a Sunday contrary to what she was telling us before. Around 4pm, the husband has come to a decision of quitting. It was kindda odd that the she openly accepted the idea and even shared that many had already quit from the paluwagan. I was thinking, no wonder many has called quits already. She only gave us Php2100 and promised to give the remaining Php1000 the next day.

May 23 - Afternoon comes and no news from the relative. The husband is in marathon sending SMS messages to her but no response. Around 9pm, we received a message telling us that she has gone out of home and will be back later that night. She even told us that the remaining money will be given to us tomorrow by 10. "Sure na."

Today. It is already past 11 in the morning but the husband still doesn't get the remaining money. Good God! I really wanted to talk to that lady and would let her realize how much stress she has been giving us.

To you: you were even telling my husband that you don't want to destroy your relationship with him but look what you have done. You destroyed your reputation for money. You have given us so much alibis that neither one is believable. You could have just save yourself from so much shame if you just said the truth that you spent all that money. You should have thank my husband for giving you enough time to earn the money that you have spent. If he has only allowed me to do the talking, you could have not eaten for the longest time now. Whew!