Lívia watched the man holding his breath as he checked the documents. The clerk wiped the sweat from his forehead with his stubby hand. He looked irritated. Lívia prepared herself for the worst—or so she thought.
“Did you seriously think you could hand me this cheap, homemade fake and I wouldn’t notice?” the man snapped at her rudely.
“Excuse me?” Lívia asked, her voice hoarse and confused.
“This,” he angrily waved the company registration extract in the air, his face contorted with rage and his hair disheveled.
Lívia confidently walked into the trap.
“It’s not a forgery; it’s a simple copy. I printed it this morning from the online database. The company details haven’t changed in seven years. Your system is up to date. If you check, you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
“Oh, really? So now you’re deciding for me what documents I need for the verification?”
“This is just a routine process, and we both know it. Every year, I come in, submit the papers, fill out the application, and you issue the certificate for proper operation. We’ve always met all our obligations, and we’ve never been late with payments.”
“I don’t care who you’ve dealt with before or what tricks you’ve pulled. Today, I’m the one handling your case, and I’m asking for an original company registration extract, one that’s less than thirty days old.”
Lívia realized she wasn’t going to convince the man with logic. She changed her tone. She leaned on the desk and spoke quietly.
“Please, be reasonable. Don’t make me waste a lot of money on an original extract and come back again. You don’t even need the document; you’re only checking if I’m authorized to handle this matter.”
“If you think that with your innocent girl look you can get anything out of me, you’re very mistaken. It says right here that if I want to, I can ask for an original extract less than thirty days old. True, I could waive it, but I’m not going to. Because I’ve decided, and that’s final!”
Lívia silently packed up her things and said a curt goodbye.
The clerk leaned back in his chair, glancing around cautiously to see if anyone had overheard the argument. He hoped not. On a typical day, he issued fifteen to twenty certificates for farmers. The process usually took only a few minutes. But this morning, he had woken up to find that his wife had left him and taken their two dogs with her—his dogs, the ones he had patiently trained since they were puppies. He loved those obedient, smart animals much more than his constantly dissatisfied wife. Without the dogs, his life would have been hell alongside the woman, whose moods changed throughout the day like the wind over the sea. And now here came a client with the same name as that heartless witch, Lívia. He prayed she wouldn’t go to the department head to file a complaint because if he had to apologize, it would completely break his already fragile nerves.
After four years at home, it was refreshing to finally return to work. Being assigned to the central post office filled Eszter with even more excitement. No more days spent among dirty diapers and bottles waiting to be sterilized. She could wear nice clothes again, jewelry, and show the world that she was an important part of the post office. Once more, she would have subordinates to manage and the authority to reprimand them if she felt like it. Learning just minutes before her shift started that she had been transferred from the office to the customer service area, to package collection, felt like a punch to the gut. She almost quit on the spot. The mocking smile of her colleague, who had once been her subordinate, didn’t help her process the unbearable news. From team leader to package handler…
She had noticed the young girl the moment she walked in the door. She recognized her instantly. The long, braided ponytail, the beautifully curved lips, the striking figure—impossible to forget. This time, the girl wore elegantly tailored white linen pants and a peach-colored short-sleeved blouse. Around her neck were two strands of pearl necklaces, which Eszter assumed were real, although she had no real knowledge about such things. She couldn’t tell the difference between real pearls and fakes. She could almost smell the powdery, delicate scent that had surrounded the enchanting figure on that strange evening. Eszter had never felt anything like it before—not in her nose, not in her body. The family was eagerly waiting for the fireworks to start. The three tired children were growing more impatient, tugging alternately at Eszter’s arm and their grandmother’s. Every minute, they asked when the show would finally begin. At one point, the mother snapped impatiently at the youngest, the two-year-old girl. That’s when one of the laughing, dancing girls in front of them, who looked like university students, turned and gave her a questioning look. The reproachful gaze met Eszter’s exhausted eyes for only a second. Eszter felt stung by the girl’s judgmental stare, a young student who clearly had no understanding of the challenges of motherhood. Despite that, Eszter couldn’t help but be drawn to the beautiful, fragrant presence for the rest of the evening, unable to focus on anything else. She watched the girl’s graceful movements in awe as her shiny satin tank top occasionally rode up, revealing flawless, silky-looking skin. She listened to the girl’s laughter, admired her beautifully shaped lips, from which the tip of her raspberry-colored tongue occasionally peeked. Eszter envied the girl’s beauty, her freedom, and the privileged life she imagined the student led. That night, she dreamed of the girl’s long, thick hair, running her fingers through it as she inhaled deeply. Two years had passed since then.
The girl joined the queue at 11:30 a.m. From the envelope, marked with the distinctive national ribbon and seal, Eszter knew it contained an application that had to be submitted by noon. She could have called the girl forward to process the package ahead of time. No one thought that the girl would reach the counter precisely at noon. She looked at Eszter anxiously.
“You will accept it, won’t you?” Her face was now tired and worn. “We’ve been working on this for over two months, almost day and night. It’s really important that we submit it.”
Eszter was captivated by the worried eyes and the trembling, soft lips full of desperation.
Then she remembered the look the girl had once given her.
“Well, if it was that important, you should have finished it on time,” she declared in a cold, authoritative tone.
“Please…” the girl whispered, swallowing her tears. “I’ve been standing in line for over half an hour.”
“If I want, it’s still noon, but if I want, it’s already past noon. And I think it’s past noon. You should have accounted for the queue. Next time, don’t leave it to the last minute!”
Eszter dramatically closed the counter window. She stood up to begin her lunch break.