My husband wrongly accused of stealing dad’s partner draw

Dear Pastor,

I am 30 years old and I am married. I have two sisters and a brother. My husband and I live in the United States of America. I came to spend some time with my ailing mother. My brother visits from time to time as he does not have a steady job. My father loves my husband. They get along very well.

My husband is a businessman. While he was in Jamaica, something happened at his business place and he had to leave the country quickly. My father missed some money -- $71,000 to be exact. He told me about it and I asked him how that money disappeared. My brother accused my husband of stealing the money. However, one of my sisters said that she is sure that it is our brother who stole our father's money. She says when our brother comes around, everybody has to be watching him because he cannot be trusted.

After the money went missing, my brother was suddenly able to buy a new pair of shoes and was seen spending lots of money at the bar, treating friends.

HARD-WORKING MAN

I feel so ashamed that my brother has maligned my husband in this way. My husband is a hard-working man. He takes care of me and our two children. He is not a thief. My husband is very upset because I told him, via telephone, that my father has missed some money and that my brother thinks he took it.

My two sisters told me that I should not have said that to my husband, because they know that he would not have done that. My father also said that I should not have told my husband that my brother is accusing him of stealing the money.

Pastor, $71,000 is not a whole lot of money for my husband. He works hard and he is always willing to help my parents. I told my father that I will not return to their house to visit as long as my brother is coming there. I am ashamed that my husband's name has been dragged into the mud. My father said the money was from a partner draw and that he intended to take it to the bank. He was keeping that money so that if my mother were to die, he would use it to buy a casket to bury her.

My brother does not work. He is always running behind politicians. He picks up a little job here and there, but he spends his money on gambling and running around with women. I am really embarrassed. I don't know what to do.

My father spoke to my husband via telephone and apologised to him. My husband repeated what he told me, which is that as long as my brother is coming to the house, he will never visit them again.

We don't know what to do in this matter.

What do you suggest?

T.

Dear T.,

It is unfortunate that your husband has declared that he will not return to your parents' home to visit them as long as your brother is at the house. However, one has to understand the discomfort that he may be feeling as a result of this matter.

Your brother appears to have wrongfully accused your husband of stealing. He has embarrassed you and your husband.

However, the people in the community may not believe what he has said. They see him dressing up and spending money wildly, so they are most likely to believe that he stole the money from your father. I hope your husband will not allow what your brother has done and said to prevent him from visiting them again. If your brother was the one who stole the money, then he has no class at all. It can be so difficult to deal with certain relatives, especially when they are dishonest.

I hope that your husband will not use the incident and curse everybody in your family.

Pastor