The lemon case

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Hi everyone.

I am giving this a try, seriously asking for help. It's those situations where I don't see a way where everyone gets out not getting hurt or annoyed that keep me from doing anything else. Here it goes. Please don't laugh at me.

I am living in a shared flat with two other guys and one girl (who will not play a role in the following). On thursday my one roomate, call him Ben, asked me if he could borrow a lemon from me. I said sure, it was my only one and he promised to (with out me having to ask him) to buy me another one on friday or at least saturday. It's very important to know that I have the same meal about every third day where a lemon is a crucial ingredient. In fact it's even a little more complicated since the ingredient of choice would a lime. But I had bought a lemon since they didnt have limes at that time. This is also the reason for why I bought only one, because I rather have limes.

Then on Friday I was shopping for groceries and considered buying a net of lemons (this shops never has limes) but trusting in my roomate to get me a lemon as he promised I thought I would go to the other shop on monday to buy limes. So I end up not having the crucial ingredient for my meal which I want to cook tonight, since also my roomate hasn't bought me any as he promised to.

At 4 pm (my time) today we had a conversation, where I asked if he would still go shopping today. He answered no, and wanted to know why I asked. I said that is very important for me to have a lemon (or lime) for tonight. Then he asked if our other roomate didn't have any. I told him, looking into the frigde, that he had 3 limes. Now our other roomate, call him Steve, is away for today and will come home late so I can't ask him if I can have a lime. I told him that I do not want to 'steal' a lime from Steve and that he would have to do it since he was the one owing me a lemon.

We agreed that by 19.30 pm he would have got me a lemon or lime and that I really don't care where it was from. But I now feel different since I really don't feel comfortable 'stealing' that lime from Steve. He might really need them. It's unlikely, but still, I would feel that this is right. And now I am somehow part of this and don't know what to do.

I am feeling terrible already not knowing what to do and my roomate hasn't made any sign yet to go shopping. Also he hasn't placed one of Steve's limes onto my shelf in the frigde. He has an hour left.

Really what do I do now? If push the lemon topic any further Ben will get really annoyed over the whole lemon thing. What other people would probably do is just take Steve's lime. But I really don't want that because I feel that this is wrong.

Any opinions?

Thank you.

You should go out and buy your own lemon.
This is a very odd situation. I'm not sure what else to say about this one.

.. and never mention lemons or limes again?

I have no problem with that. All I want to do is the right thing, really.

Thanks for your reply.

Now my roomate left saying 'Goodbye' and I don't know if he is going to his girlfriend or getting me a lemon. I think it's his girlfriend though, or else he would have said 'Be right back' or the likes. He also hasn't given me one of Steve's limes.

Now it's 5 minutes left and he hasn't got me a lime nor lemon. I will get myself one then. Is it ok for me, to be at least a little bit angry about this? I feel like I want to be a bit angry about that.

It's perfectly fine for you to be angry about this.

He said he would buy another lemon for you on Friday or at least Saturday. It is now Saturday night (at least where I live), but he has not fulfilled his promise yet. You explained to him that having a lemon (or lime) is very important for your meal tonight, and he has still not given you a lemon.

I would be pissed too! It is a very easy promise to fulfil! Lemons are cheap and convenient to acquire. Your roommate has no excuse!