April 8, 2020
A Story from Yesterday, Told in a Break from Work
In search of a coffee somewhere near the High Court.
Not easy. At last, on Batiștei at the corner of Tudor Arghezi, I find a little shop open. I go in. There, behind a plastic tent with an opening above the counter, the shopkeeper sat on a stool playing on his telephone.
In front of him, two tall, well-built fellows. The look of debt collectors, somewhat more polished, so to speak.
“Come on, give us a hundred at least! Give us something,” says one of them, holding in his hand a toy like a card terminal.
The shopkeeper, as though nothing at all were happening, keeps his eyes fixed on his telephone.
“Come on, man, give us something so we can say you at least tried!”
The man in the plastic bubble, impassively continuing his virtual activity, answers at last: “I haven’t got it.” After a few more seconds he adds: “I’ve sold almost nothing. Where am I to get it from? Take your salami off the shelf and leave me in peace.”
Then I understood: the “debt collectors” were the sales agents of a great sausage company. Begging 100 lei from the small shopkeeper… They “hung about” the shop a few minutes more, just as long as it took me to buy my coffee. As I was about to leave I see a notice: “We have yeast”.
“You have yeast?” say I, “I’d like some too…”
“Not just now. It comes in half an hour. I’ll put some aside for you, if you like, counsellor,” the shopkeeper answered me with a complicit look, eyeing the crumpled gown under my arm.
“Certainly,” I hasten to reply. “I’ll go to the High Court and come back.”
I need not tell you that the hearing before the three high judges had already fallen to second place in importance among those moments. The pleading, even the small satisfaction of a great victory of that stage, paled entirely before the awaiting of the great reward: THE YEAST!
After we greet the judges who had come to sit solely for our case, I salute my distinguished colleagues and their well-known clients and hurry back to the shop on the corner.
“Has it come?” said I.
“Yes, but only in 450 g boxes. You could open a bakery with one box,” he smiled roguishly. “Or you could sell it by the gram. It’s in more demand than cocaine these days!” He winked at me. Clearly, we already constituted an organised group. “Shall I give you one?”
“Yes, TWO!”
I am back in business! 😉
Setting aside the unique “savour” of these moments… This is where we have got to! And it is only the beginning.
Shall I tell you that the great businessmen too, the clever boys… that even they are suffering? Shall I tell you that the whole consumption of electricity has fallen by… 40%? Or that the day before yesterday electricity was traded on the free Market at… 0 Lei???
Yes! All this is possible. And I believe we shall live through still more “interesting” moments.
Unfortunately!
#WoeToUs!
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