He thought I was a G boy, so was asking me about some stuff I didn't know about, if I knew someone that deal with bank accounts, or if they could use mine to forward hundreds of thousands of euros.
I told him no, that I am employed, and jokingly complained about how the tax man is billing me yearly for income tax, that I didn't pay enough the previous year.
Then we got talking and he went on to narrate how he envied ordinary folks that go to work daily, the simple calmness in their soul, and how they could access things that he cannot even access even if he has more money than them. I asked for more explanation, and he continued.
He said we do not have the fear of the future, that his affluent reality can come to a stop any day the law ever catches up with him. That when he hears a knock on his door, he fears so deeply to open even if it's the postman.
He will only open the door when he is sure he is expecting someone and the person is around. How he tries not to involve the authority for anything even if it's perfectly legal, due to fear of igniting any event that will shine a torchlight on his affairs that may lead to an arrest.
That ordinary working folk can simply get a mortgage and buy a house, but he can't since that would lead to questioning his source of income. The guilt he felt because of the people he has harmed by stealing from them, and when bad things happen to him, he wonders if it's karma.
He has three daughters and has always wished for a son, but wondered if God gave him only daughters to punish him for his philandering. His three daughters are from two different women.
For him, the most important thing he complained about was peace. He misses having peace, and that peace is priceless. That sometimes, he doesn't sleep long due to unnecessary fear.
His wife also knows the job he does, which hints at her moral failure, and he fears that she will use it against him if there is any conflict between them. His source of income is like a dagger under his belly.
I was not shocked hearing all these, since I understand very well the cause-and-effect nature of things. But it was refreshing hearing all these from him, as it made me appreciate my own struggles. I pitied him, and ask him why don't just stop it.
He responded that he can't. It's the only job he knows, and he has gone so far that he can't be earning wages that won't sustain his lifestyle.
Then I asked how he got a residence since he doesn't work and didn't study. Then he said that was another mistake he regretted.
He came on a visitor visa, was desperate to stay permanently, and impregnated any available woman, to legalize himself.
I was then wondering why he was telling me all these things, which I consider a personal secret. And he said I give the vibe of someone that can empathize, and also, talking about it eases the pain a bit, especially to strangers he won't see again.
He then got a call and left. Probably someone will meet him outside. We shook hands and told me bye. After I finished eating and was about to pay, the waiter informed me that he has paid for my meal. I was thankful but had an unpleasant feeling that he paid for my food with some kind of blood money.
Such an encounter opened my eyes to a reality I have known to exist, but not met anyone in it. It reminds me of the quote that there is no peace for the wicked, no honor amongst thieves, and that what you sow, you shall reap.
Then I asked how he got a residence since he doesn't work and didn't study. Then he said that was another mistake he regretted.
He came on a visitor visa, was desperate to stay permanently, and impregnated any available woman, to legalize himself.
I was then wondering why he was telling me all these things, which I consider a personal secret. And he said I give the vibe of someone that can empathize, and also, talking about it eases the pain a bit, especially to strangers he won't see again.
He then got a call and left. Probably someone will meet him outside. We shook hands and told me bye. After I finished eating and was about to pay, the waiter informed me that he has paid for my meal. I was thankful but had an unpleasant feeling that he paid for my food with some kind of blood money.
Such an encounter opened my eyes to a reality I have known to exist, but not met anyone in it. It reminds me of the quote that there is no peace for the wicked, no honor amongst thieves, and that what you sow, you shall reap.
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