The one who was my translator in Kyiv for five weeks has telephoned me, very cordially, to find out how life is going and to give me a saber blow, a very meritorious fate that requires psychology, oratorical skills and courage.
Giving a saber is not within everyone’s reach. All human beings are born saber ratters and bawl, kick and whimper as children when their parents deny them an ice cream, but very few, as adults, master the art of asking for money with just the right amount of drama and, at the same time, playing down the importance of asking for money. business.
-It would be one hundred or two hundred euros.
The money, you see, is almost the least of it. Who does not lend a sum that does not change your life either? I, in these situations, suffer an attack of empathy with the rich, who do not enjoy spending money, unlike the poor. It must be very hard for friends and acquaintances to come to you and, instead of 100 or 200 euros, they ask you for 10,000 euros, convinced that money bothers you, predisposes you to charity or turns you into a branch of the Bank of Spain. My empathy with the rich is such that I need to imagine that they are used to it and have a repertoire of good words to dodge the saber.
-I would gladly leave you those 10,000 euros, but I put our friendship first, which is priceless. Imagine that you don’t return them to me, you feel anguish and, desperate, you decide to rob a bank. I would never forgive myself!
The poor, on the other hand, have no excuse because we presume to be poor but supportive. Besides, you have to be very absurd to snub a poor man, who always has outstanding bills, mortgage bills or a studious Erasmus daughter in Uppsala and can’t make ends meet.
My translator, don’t get confused, doesn’t happily ask for money, but rather a short-term loan to finish the month, when he will receive I don’t know what help or he will give another blow. We poor people are such dreamers. As soon as I finish this column, I’ll send a few euros, but I’m totally lost, because it’s inspired me, and inspiration, like friendship or a good saber, is expensive and priceless.
4
