“I count only up to 20”. “Then how will you count 280.000 euro?”

Part 2

 "What is this? A bank note of 5 millions? These are Satan's things"

The Romanian law is clear. A transaction can be legally concluded only if you pay using the local currency and this is RON. It was just few weeks after the National Bank had cut 4 numbers from the currency and "10.000 lei" became "1 RON". So, having agreed on the price of 280.000 euro, we should pay the people using RON. And as 1 EURO was about 3,5 RON at that time, you can guess that the whole amount was almost 1.000.000 RON. Usually this amount is paid via bank transfer, to the accounts of each and every one of the owners. Well, not in this case…

 "We want the money cash, in our hands, this is not negotiable". "But this means higher costs for us and also trouble… to drive around the country with money in our car". "This is not our business, you saw all the serious people, they have families, they need the money CASH". "Ok, we will bring you the money, in notes of 500 RON" (my client proposed). "500 RON? What is this? 500.000 lei?" It took us 5 minutes to explain that the old lei was now RON and that there would be a new note, of 500 RON… "What is this? A bank note of 5 millions? You{C}{C}{C} printed it by yourself? I don't know anything about these… no, no these are Satan's things… bring us euro, or the deal is off" the gypsy woman decided.

 "I know how to count only up to 20" "Then how will you count 280.000 euro?"

There is a legal procedure to do this. You just lose some money, exchanging currencies twice, plus redrawing the amount so as to carry it on you. My client was really patient plus he was actually having fun with all these… "I know how to count only up to 20, so you will bring us bank notes of 20 euro each". "And then how will you count 280.000 euro?" "You will see"… We left from Bucharest carrying some 14.000 bank notes of 20 euro each, special order to BNR. (I can imagine the guy who executed the order, freaking out with all these…)

 The meeting point

The meeting was set at 13.00. We delayed and arrived at 13.07. We went to the meeting point, an "office" in the back of a groceries wholesaler. Thank God I was an ex semi professional dancer, I used all the pirouettes I know so as to avoid the boxes of fruits and vegetables. I opened the old aluminum door with the broken glass and the old stickers on it. I saw in front of me four plastic chairs, a plastic table and an old desk. How old? I think I saw something similar to a photo of my grand father's office…

 The gypsy woman was ready to leave, her hands were sweating, as she was sitting behind the old desk. She was together with a younger woman, probably her daughter. "Hello, hello. Sit down, you are late. Did you bring the money?" My client opened his sack. The "bricks" of bank notes were protected in white transparent plastic bags. She did not like it. "Let's see how she will count" the translator whispered to my ear…

 Counting the money…

She really meant it. She knew counting up to 20. She didn't want to accept the packs prepared by the bank. "But they are measured and sealed by BNR" "What is BNR?" "Where Isarescu is the Governor" "and he knows how to count?" "A bit better than you, trust me" I commented, feeling the need to protect the country's symbol of seriousness and stability…

 They unpacked all the notes. Placed them on the plastic table and started counting. They were counting until 20, creating a small pack. Then they created 20 packs of 20 notes each. Then they created 20 lines of 20 packs of 20 notes each. There were 4 chairs for 5 people, so I was standing and enjoying the counting…  They were sweating a lot, trying to place everything in order. "Do you need some help?" "No, you Greek (Grecule). This hand, that you see, has counted millions and millions" she replied showing to me her hand.

 Tomorrow:

Beware of the Greeks

Spreading 280.000 euro to hundreds of people, out of the notary's office…

"Fresh money in hand = many ways to spend it fast"