Fraud, Friends and Fear

First day on the job, co-worker confides “Bullies here get rough. When they call your bluff you can count on me to stand by your side.” Conversation thrives; Contemplation drives my curiosity to hear out Ben’s mind. Many issues find our positions aligned. Can I depend on Ben? Long story he told, how his parents died. The story towered, pity he devoured. Neighbors had raised him, neglect bona fide. Imagination defied foundation. One colleague verified, “Ben invents the truth; He lives with his parents still, well past his youth. “ Can I depend on Ben? Last week, he boasted he’d gotten a raise; deceit’s his onus. “Twas just a bonus, which we all got in a matter of days. As auditor-clerk he does top-notch work; his skill in mathematics amazes me. Yet how (and why) can he lie so blatantly? Can I depend on Ben? I will admit unfair apprehension which causes me grief. Could he be a thief? Don’t want to be a source of contention. Is lying a crime? Truth will out in time. I'm considering his vested point of view; but cannot count any guarantee as true. We talk, then I walk away from this yahoo. Can I depend on Ben? Fraud makes a fearful friend. written May 17, 2018 contest: Gregory Barden's Qarinage, Any Topic (new form)