Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Carol’s Corner

March 12, 2008

The Mistake That Won’t Go Away

Carol Roach

Have you ever made a mistake that comes back to haunt you over and over again?  Well I have.

I was working until 2005.  The last place I worked for was a place where I worked for three years.  Unfortunately, I was off on sick leave twice during that period.  The last return to work was in 2004 and then I was diagnosed with diabetes. 

In those early days I was still combating aches so bad that I could hardly walk and I was seriously thinking about getting a walker.  I thought I had arthritis at the point in time and as time moved on it was getting progressively worse. Only in 2007, did I find out that I had diabetes, thyroid problems, and fibromyalgia; needless to say I was very sick, starting back as early as 2001. 

I would be working and the walls felt like they were coming down on me.  I was always nauseated.  I toughed it out as long as I could and then in February 2005, I knew I could not take it anymore.  I had to make a very hard decision, I had to quit my job and try to preserve my health.

In July of 2005 I went for a trip to visit a friend in Ontario only to come home to an eviction.  My son who is a man not a child, had a flood that damaged the apartment below.  So I had to go through the stress of finding a new place to live.  It was not easy. I was on unemployment insurance and the rents were high and the landlords did not want to rent to someone who was not working.

I had to offer the landlord of where I am now living two months rent in advance to get this place.  He was not convinced that he should rent it to me; he had a working couple also vying for the place.  Much to the chagrin of the couple, as they say money talks and we got the place. 

The trouble was the rent was $200.00 more a month than I was originally paying and my salary was now only 60 per cent of what it had been.  This is where my money problems began, in September 2005.  I had no choice I had to take this place; there were no other options.

By October my unemployment insurance was running out, and I was super stressed yet again.  How was I going to keep up with the rent with welfare starring me in the face?  I found a job that was a 20-minute metro drive away.  That does not sound like a whole lot to many people, but is if you are sick like I am, it presents a problem. 

On the third day I didn’t make it to the workplace, I had an accident before I even got to work.  I walked in and explained that I had to go home and change. It was there and then that I made the realization that I was not able to work. 

I remembered how I had to get up every 15 minutes at my old job to go to the bathroom; if it was not for one reason it was for another; if you know what I mean.  I had bladder issues because of the diabetes and I also have irritated bowel syndrome.  Because I had worked at the other place so long they accepted the condition but I doubted that this new place would.  I knew I would not be able to keep this job and so I quit.

During this time with my illness, stress from the eviction and no money or job to fall back on, my youngest sister was dying with cancer.  The day I quit this new job, I found out that she was once again in the hospital. 

My mother said this was it. The doctor’s said she would not survive.  She was battling bone cancer for 4 years and now she had throat cancer, it was now just a matter of time.

In all the stress, I made a big mistake. I forgot to mention to the unemployment people that I worked for three days.  I let it go and then I thought that I had told them. It turned out I didn’t.  I was so worried about my sister I was not thinking straight.

In January 2006, my sister died.  Last year 2007, I get a notice from the unemployment insurance that I had committed fraud; I never declared the three days pay.  However, they did not only want the money back for the three days, they wanted a $50.00 penalty and 847 dollars extra which they claimed I owned them for the unemployment they paid me after that date. I was not entitled to that money according to the unemployment insurance act.  This was absolutely crazy I did not declare $300.00 and now I was being penalized for $1,000.00. 

I appealed the case and I won.  I only had to pay back the original $300.00.  I thought the issue was over.  I didn’t think about it again, until today.  I received an audit from the tax people, again over this same issue.  Apparently I owe them $75.00 for those same three days of work. 

Will this mistake every go away do I have to be haunted by it forever?  My financial situation is worse, I am on disability and do not make ends meet any given month, how am I supposed to dish out more money?  I don’t have enough for my everyday needs. 

Tomorrow I will call the government and see what can be done, I am just so flabbergasted, will this mistake follow me to my grave – enough already!