“We want it more than cardu.” Here is the ballot!”, says the woman who came to the Post office. It was around noon on Thursday in the office in the north of the capital. The waitress (let’s call her Felicia) was already angry.

I was the eighth in line to send a postcard. Felicia does her best to control her nerves. What card? – she asks, already trembling slightly. “The card gives the current payment, you can hear which card… Here is the bulletin!”, a woman accompanied by her daughter and husband tells him. The clerk takes the ballot, checks it and says it’s not on the list. The hysteria begins.

What do you mean we are not Palestinians? Yes, we are poor people, and he said on TV that the state gives us money on the card. Give me my card, madam!

The employee asks a colleague “from the rear” to help her. A colleague promptly arrives, takes the Woman_without_card card and goes to check in the back. It was the turn of an older woman 70+ at the counter. “Look Mama Cardu, I want you to pay my bills because I can’t see well!”

The employee takes the card, looks at the elderly woman for a long time and asks: “Do you have a bill?”

The woman admits that she is not there, but finds a way out: “Mom, put that card, because I guess the bills are written on it, and see how much I have to pay, and pay me. I don’t see this,” reminds the high school student.

Felicia explains that she does not “write” bills on the card and that she must have a paper from the HOA. “Look like this!” she says, showing him how the paper should look. The face of an elderly woman glows.

“Ah, how good, mother! He also gave you the bill. Well, insert that card and pay as much as it says!” he tells the clerk.

Felicia blushes. “Madam, this invoice is an example, this is not your invoice! Go to the Association, let them write you how much you owe, and come for them!”

“Okay,” says the Elder. Give me that bill, because tonight I am going to the Association to pay the Administrator…”. What’s the bill ma’am? says Felicia, it’s not your account? I’ve shown it to you so you can see what you need to bring with you the next time you come. To which the elder: “Ahh, well, well, don’t be so upset. Did I tell you that I can’t see well?”

The Woman_without_Energy card appears again. “Did my card come, madam?”. Felicia gets up, opens the door behind her, and asks Michaela if she found the woman’s card. Michaela appears and delivers bad news. She is not on the list, there is no card in her name. Despair once again grips the building.

“Why do they say on TV that the poor get money on a card, if no one gives us money? Let Chupa (presumably Chuke, but we’ll never know) come and take my money. You don’t have to worry because you know how to behave on the roads…!” she says, leaving the platform in front of the meter.

Next comes a pensioner who did not receive a pension. There wasn’t even a salary yet, and the woman came to see if the government would send her money earlier. And since he was still on his way there… They didn’t send the money. Stupid state.

The next customer, an elegant lady. He needed to send an envelope. Ask for a stamp. Felicia glances at the envelope and says: “Please know that there is no addressee in Bucharest. You have moved to the city as a recipient. The person to whom you are writing is going there, not the city!”. Elegant woman is panicking. He wants another envelope, he wants a pen, he wants the world to wait while he corrects his mistake. Finally, the operation was successfully performed. The envelope had to be sent to Vatra Dornei to the company, not Bucharest at all.

A group of 3 reappears. “Did the card come, madam?” There is no map, understand! Felicia begins to shout! No card, right?”.

“I thought, maybe he came in the meantime, why are you yelling at me?” – says the Woman without an energy card.

Felicia gets up and goes to the back door and yells at Michaela, “Send the other girl to the counter because I can’t deal with all the fools anymore!”. A few fools (including me) start laughing.

Finally I reached the counter. I tell him that I want to send a postcard, it costs me 4 lei. I pay with a card, I say.

To which Felicia: Sorry, we only accept cash.” An hour and 18 minutes passed. God help me with the next postcard!