CREDIT AND DEBT

Health care workers in The City's teeming hospitals are chronically overworked. So at first it seemed like no big deal when a young male nurse wandered into the caf, feet dragging, eyes red. He sat down and buried his face in his hands.

"Tough shift, Liam?" Gaia said. Then, when he didn't answer, "What's the matter? It's not the baby, is it? Or Avonel?"

Liam lowered his hands. "No, they're fine. But I just did something really stupid."

"What?Tell me!"

Liam forced himself to look at his aunt. "You know that Avonel and I have been short of money lately. Bills overdue, credit card maxed out. So I went into one of those quick-loan places - you know the ones: 'NO CREDIT CHECK, INSTANT ADVANCE, GET YOUR MONEY TODAY!'"

"Uh-oh," Gaia said. Liam didn't answer. "How much did you borrow?"

"Two thousand. Which covered all our bills and got me caught up."

"Not so bad."

"Yeah - if that was all I owed," Liam said. "I'm paying 24% interest. Plus transaction fees I didn't know about until after I'd signed the papers."

"Twenty-four per cent! That's painful!"

Liam nodded. "I'm sunk. Can't get my hands on any cash - I've got a small term deposit, but I'll pay a penalty if I take it out now, and that'll just make things worse. By the time I pay back the loan, with the interest piling up day after day, I'm gonna end up owing a fortune." He covered his face again.

There was a silence. Then Gaia said, "Listen. We'll go to MetroBank and get you a loan at a better rate. Then you can pay off the cash advance loan. At the lower interest rate, you'll be able to manage the payments to the bank."

"But how am I gonna get a bank loan? I don't exactly have the best credit rating."

"I'll co-sign."

"No way!" Liam protested. "What if I can't keep up the payments, even at the lower rate? The bank'll come after you. They might even sell the caf to get their cash!"

"Then I'd finally be free."

"Come on, Gaia, you don't mean that. You love this place!" Liam said.

"OK, maybe I do," she admitted.

"So I can't let you lose it!"

"Then you're not gonna let that happen, are you?" Gaia said.

"Of course not," Liam said.

"Good. Figured you'd be more scared to stiffmethan the bank."