9/26/08

The worst that has happened to me

I am a poor person, but very organised. I always know what I have in my account, and I plan my finances as well as I can.

(I have to add that most of our expenses are taken by my husband, who works far more than I, and gets far more results that I.)

I am supposed to get my paycheck every 9th. But I have the option of getting half month salary the 23rd. And this month, because things were really bad at home, I decided to ask for the half month pay.

Everything goes electronic in this country, so I filled in the respective virtual forms to get the money. But because I am forever Mozambican, I took a phonecall to my contact at work (this is another loooong story), who assured me that I would get my pay on time.

So, the 23.09, I write donw a shoppinglist to the pharmacy, with a coughing medicin for my daughter.

After work, I go the the pharmacy and get a lotion for me, the medicin for my little one, and some vitamins.

Heh, when I come to the counter, and pass my bank card, hello, nothing happens. Or rather, it says "operation interrupted", which I know, it either means "not enough money" or "this machine doens't accept your card. Go and try another one". So far so good.

I then decide to leave behind the cream and the vitamines - just in case. I pass the card again and to my surprise ""operation interrupted".

In my innocence I think "It is probably the card." And ask the attendente "let me take out the money from a cash machine. Please don't return the products, I'll be right back."

Full of confidence, I went to the closest machine, inserted my card, and to my surprise, I could not take out 100 kroner! I then checked my saldo, and I had under that amount. The surprise was because I was completely sure that I had gotten the salary!

Guys, this was the first time I could not buy my daughter a medicin. When all I do is work, thinking of her best...

I was so furious, embarrassed, frustrated and sad. Above all I was so sad... And having to smille at her, and give her love (yes she was with me), knowing that she would spend another night coughing and sleeping bad...


PS 1: Luckily, my husband got some money the follwing day, and I could buy my daughter her medicin.

PS 2: Although everything is fine, I can't forgett that feeling: working so much and not having money to buy medicin!

PS 3: I have to acknowledge that the people at work have done a good job, and after almost a week, I was today promissed that I wil get (part of) my salary this afternoon.

1 comment:

  1. Organization (as in the perfectly and unfailable society) is merely a perception. In the end all societies are made of humans. And we know how humans fail. Let us not take for granted that just because 'they' are Norwegians and 'we' are Mozambicans some fail more than others. We all fail at some point! And we all exhale as well...

    Stay well my sister. Give my love to my niece.

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