Dear Mary
Your problems solved
Q. I am an actor, currently between jobs. I have been tutoring a 12-year-old boy for his Common Entrance. The boy’s mother is incredibly rich and lately divorced. Because she has nothing to do all day other than worry about her children’s prospects, she insists that I come to the house every day for the rest of the Easter holidays and thereafter every weekend and early evening until C.E. The boy is actually quite bright and does not need that much help and I feel the poor chap should be allowed a bit of a break after school. On the other hand, I do need the money. What is the morally correct thing to do?
Name and address withheld
A. Clearly this mother has enjoyed your company and would like to prolong your engagement so that she can use you, effectively, as a paid companion and masculine presence in the house. Why not suggest a compromise which is that you can spend half of your time with the boy and the other half providing ‘social support’ to his mother As an actor you should enjoy taking on several different roles such as psychotherapist, manservant, butler and dinner guest. In this way everyone benefits.
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