My brothers are stealing from our dad

Dear Pastor,

I am 19, and my father is a businessman. He trusts me. Two of his sons are in the same business with him.

My father has a couple of taxis on the road. My brothers work with him, but they are not always honest with him. They do not give him the amount of money they should bring in. My father and my brothers are always at war. My father is not the brightest person, but he is an honest man. My brothers take his money and waste it on their women.

I am getting worried because my father trusts me, and my brothers are now saying that I am the one who is stealing my father's money. When the money comes in, my father asks me to collect it and I ask my brothers to sign a book showing how much they brought in. They are always arguing and telling me that I should just write down what they told me. My father told them that they should bring the vehicles and park them in the yard if they are not willing to put how much they brought in. Apart from that, they are my brothers and I love them. My mother is always telling them that they should learn to live good with their father.

I have a boyfriend who is 23 years old and he asked me to ask my father to give him a loan to buy a car. I told my boyfriend that I will not encourage my father to give him a loan. He should save his money and purchase a car for himself. He suggested that I should ask my father to buy me a car, but I will not ask my father to buy me a car either, because any of my brothers can take me wherever I want to go. My boyfriend says that I am putting my father before him. Do you think that my boyfriend should look at the situation like that?

I know if my boyfriend should buy a car right now, he will do exactly what my father has accused my brothers of doing - run around. My father is threatening my brothers that he will take away the taxis from them. They are accusing me of encouraging my father to do so.

J.W.

Dear J.W.,

Your brothers should learn to be honest. Whatever they agreed with your father for them to bring in every week, they should do that.

There might be days that are very slow or the vehicles may need repairs, but such repairs would not have to be done every week. They should learn to be good business people and not bring stress upon their father. They should also not object to sign in a book when they hand you the money every week.

Concerning the loan your boyfriend is asking you to get from your father for him, that is a no-no. Let your boyfriend buy his own vehicle. Don't get involved in that at all.

Pastor