No Can Do - I Am Management

Excuse me?

Yep. That's what he said. "I am management."

Several months ago a couple moved from The Sandbox back to the States. Without getting into detail what happened is that the wife went home first to get their teenage daughter enrolled in school. Then her older son, who is diabetic, got very sick. The final straw was that their house got submerged in water during Hurricane Ike. Not a good scene. So, the wife, who was going to return to The Sandbox to help her husband get their house here packed up and ready to move, decided that with all that was happening she needed to stay in Texas. The husband took care of what needed to be done at this end prior to returning to the States - well, mostly. I ended up with all of the plants - both indoor and outdoor plants - that she had and I promised I would try to sell them for her.

The plants were all in beautiful pots. Pots that were NOT inexpensive. I have sold them for her. The plants, in their beautiful - but very heavy - pots have been sitting on our patio for a while and finally - finally - today the person who bought them came to pick them up. She arrived with two friends. There were four of us to move the plants, including me. A couple of the pots/plants were really, really heavy. We needed a couple of big, strong men. No problem, right?

Across the street there was a worker outside getting ready to mow some grass and another man with him. We summoned them to come and help us. The one worker - one of our compound's many, many imported laborers, immediately came to assist us. The other one? He walked over to us when we beckoned him to come, but he didn't lift a finger. Why? Because, when he was asked if he would help us, he said, "No. I am management." I kid you not. That is exactly what he said and that is why he would not help four struggling women lift some heavy pots into the back of an Explorer. He stood right next to us and watched, and he watched his worker assist us but he refused to help us. It was truly appalling, lame and pathetic. We offered to pay them for their assistance and did give the laborer some cash for helping. Something tells me that the laborer did not get to keep all the money, though. I suspect the "manager" insisted on taking at least half. Regretfully, the laborer didn't come back through the gate and the woman that bought the plants gave him the money next to the truck instead of on the patio. I know the "manager" saw the transaction take place. I am hopeful that the laborer told him to stick it...

Woman buying plants:

"Sir, could you help us get these pots in this truck?"

Man from across the street:

"No. I am management."

Well excuuuussssssse, me!

Unbelievable. And, only in The Sandbox.