"I have two daughters. My oldest studies in Warsaw; my youngest studies in Gdansk. She has a boyfriend…"
Steve doesn't celebrate his victory. He nods and says: "I understand. You're a mother. Your responsibility is for your children. You love them so much that you could kill for them. My responsibility is for my 40.000 children in Haiti, for the one million people who depend on the stability of the house of cards that I built in a city of tents. I don't want to think about what will happen there if you had decided to shoot me, but I hoped you would take over the little organization I set up and help those people after you fed my mutilated corpse to the sharks in this lake.
» There are no sharks in this lake, by the way. Sharks don't survive in a lake full of piranhas. I imported a pair of piranhas to protect me against divers, and they seem to like it here."
Scarlett stands up, wipes her tears away with her sleeve, gives me back my Makarov and goes for a refill at the coffee machine: "Anybody else wants a cup of coffee?"
I can't help but ask: "Are you serving coffee? I thought you had a principle of not serving coffee to anyone."
"I have, but this is an emergency. In case of emergency, we should overcome our principles and do what needs to be done."
Both Steve and I want another cup. Scarlett uses this as some kind of peace treaty: "I'm sorry, Steve. It's… Since I've lost my job, I'm looking for revenge. I wanted to find the one who did this to me, but all I find is people who claim that they just do their job. I've tormented my boss, I've burnt his banker, I've tortured the shareholder of the company, I've attacked the taxman, I've taken the Minister as a hostage, but nobody feels responsible for what happened to me. They were all just doing their jobs, and they all felt great, fantastic, and successful. Not one of them did anything illegal. I'm the only one who's punished, and I don't know what I did wrong, or who did this to me. That's why I came here. I hoped to find the brain behind all this mess, and I hoped for revenge."
Steve understands: "Who's behind the behaviour of every company? Who tells the politicians what to do? It's the consumer, who pays for everything. If the consumers are only interested in the cheapest products, they force the companies to fire their employees and lower their costs. If the consumers don't care where the cheapest products come from, the work goes to children in the Third World instead of employees in our own country. Drugs are sold and the rainforest is destroyed for one reason only: because consumers pay for it. Nobody does anything illegal because there will never be a law against earning money, but we all do lots of immoral things, to justify our greed and our envy, and to justify our sloth, of doing as little as possible against all the bad things our behaviour inflicts to others. You-the-consumer caused it. Your consumer money was behind everything. But now, you've punished yourself for your irresponsible spending, and your revenge is the jobless future you're facing."
I nod and say: "Revenge is a negative feeling, Scarlett. What's the effect of punishing those who break the rules? Criminals get free food, lodging and healthcare in the State Hotel, nobody does anything for the victims, and the working class pays for the costs of jurisdiction. Revenge is almost as bad as the crime itself. Why don't we condemn criminals to undo the damage they created? Perhaps, they would realise how much effort it takes to live together in peace. Wouldn't it be nice when others help you as a reward for the good things you did, instead of punishing you for the errors you've made? Don't look back for others to blame. Look forward, aware of all your qualities, and all the opportunities that lay in front of you."
Steve agrees with me: "Nobody feels guilty. Nobody feels responsible. Nobody does anything. We look for others to blame: the rich and powerful should change and politicians should do something.
» The truth is that the rich and powerful will never change; they are extremely happy to be rich and powerful, and will do everything they can to keep it that way.
» The truth is that politicians only do two things: they raise our taxes and they limit our freedom. Politicians are not interested in solving problems; they exist because of those problems. If we would simply solve all our problems by ourselves, we wouldn't need politicians.
» The truth is that every consumer is guilty, because it's the consumer who pays for everything, who motivates companies to produce cheaper. If consumers would demand openness and would be prepared to pay the higher price of goods that are produced with responsibility, we would have fewer problems and more work for everyone. What did you do when you lost your job?"
"I moved from an expensive fancy flat to a cheap craphouse in Jungleland."
"Did the owner of your fancy flat punish you for taking away his income? You did nothing against the law. All you did was lower your costs of living. Companies do that all the time. The company you worked for fired you because they found a cheaper solution. You blame them for the same thing you did to your landlord.", Steve says.
"I've studied Economy, Scarlett. Steve is right. You've lost your job because somebody else wanted to do your work for a lower price. Economy is like war. Every general wins: they get the medals, the coins. All the soldiers (the workers and consumers) lose; one side gets poverty and unemployment, and the other side gets overweight and stress. Good and bad is just a matter of what side you're on. The winner, the one who shoots first and kills the other, is the one who claims the title of Good. Both sides think the others are the Bad ones. Guilty is everyone who fights; they should learn to work together."
"We are not here to be punished. We are here to learn and to be educated.", Steve says.
I continue: "In Poland, there is 20% of unemployment, a huge number of people that we, together, pay for doing nothing. We also take a big slice out of the pie of taxes to pay soldiers for doing nothing. If we could only motivate those people to solve other people's problems, it would be so much better for everyone. But we have a system that depends on money, on possessions. The one to blame is the system: capitalism."
Scarlett defends herself as she learnt from the world around her: "So I have to fight the system? One woman, divorced, black, 47 years old, with a big butt, against the world? If I were younger, perhaps I would try, but I've lost my strength, my looks, my career, my life… I've lost everything. I have nothing."
"If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.", I say.
Steve suggests: "You have children. Teach them to do the right thing. You have friends. Ask them to help you. Your children have friends and your friends have children. Together, we can change the future. Together, we can save the world. Education is all we need; it's the most effective cure against stupidity. You are not responsible for the world you live in, but you are responsible for your own acts, for your children, and for the things you do. You can decide to take that responsibility and help others, or you can decide to do just whatever is good for you alone. That's the choice you'll have to make."
"And how do I do that?", Scarlett asks.
"You find someone less fortunate than you, and then you help him.", Steve says.
"Steve did that. And now, he helps an entire country.", I say.
Steve objects: "Not an entire country. We only have 10% of the population on our payroll."
"I'll never move out of Jungleland.", Scarlet sighs.
"If you like, I have a job for you in Tent City: no rent, no bills to pay, nice weather, happy neighbours, and a guaranteed salary of US$ 200 per month."
Scarlett shakes her head: "No thanks. On second thought, Jungleland isn't so bad. We have free electricity, water and Wi-Fi there, and when the sun comes up in the morning, the view is spectacular. I can live with that. All I need is a job, but that's impossible when you're a 47-year-old black woman in a country with 20% unemployment.", Scarlett says.
Steve doesn't see the problem: "The large majority of the employees of SecretAppy is female. They are black women, of all ages (the oldest is 85; she teaches Spanish), and they live in a country with 70% unemployment. Don't think about your limitations; focus on your strong points, on everything you do well. Look at the problems other people have and invent a way to solve them: there's your job. A country with unemployment is a country without problems. Work means solving problems. What skills do you have?"
"Steve is right, Scarlett. How many men have offered you a job lately? I offered you a job as my partner and you were the best partner any spy could wish for. Several men wanted you for several jobs when you dressed up as Roxanne—"
"Those were blow jobs and hand jobs."
"Well paid for hardly any work. If women would pay me to give them oral pleasure… Sorry. In the KGB, you asked the members to finance your new little company, and they stood in line. Axel and William both offered you a job with a monthly salary of 100.000 euros. The taxman offered you a job as a collector. You worked as a nurse. You worked as the PR manager of a leading politician. At the neighbourhood barbecue, someone offered you a job as a caterer. All the citizens of Park View elected you as the Queen of Jungleland. Mister Glik wanted you to become a stewardess with his airline. Even Steve here just offered you a job, in Tent City, where you can work as an office manager for every company you like, or teach your skills to everyone who wants to learn."
Steve adds his share to the pep-talk: "Perhaps, you'll run around like a mouse in a maze, looking for a piece of cheese that doesn't exist, but by running around, you'll always find something, at least the sure knowledge that you will find nothing when you don't move."
I continue: "Stop crying over spilt milk and start doing something productive. You're good at solving problems. How are you going to solve your own problem, of not having a job? Find yourself a dream and an activity. You're creative, intelligent, social and brave. You motivate others to get the best out of them, even to overcome their fear of flying, of jumping out of a plane. Are you going to use those qualities? Or are you going to spend the rest of your life, sitting on your big black butt in front of the TV, working on your figure with a bag of crisps? I know you, Scarlett; it just won't work for you if you're lazy.
» Perhaps you can't change the world, but at least you can avoid that the world changes you. So take a deep breath, be proud, stand tall, touch the clouds, be free, get down in the dirt and kill poverty. Get up, Scarlett. We've talked enough. Let's work."
For a long time, Scarlett says nothing. She just sits and thinks, until finally a small tear loses contact with the corner of her eye and starts his way down, following the curves of her cheek until it reaches the corner of her faint smile.
I can't stand it to see a woman cry. I have to do something about it. It's a flaw in my character, I know, and it's something that will get me into trouble every time, but this time… I can stand it: this tear is not bitter and filled with revenge; this tear is sweet, meant to share with me, as it makes my cheek wet when Scarlett gets up and hugs me, one big hug as only a real caring mother can give, while she pays out my salary, my bonus and my promotion for all the work I have done, by saying: "Thank you. For being my friend."
Steve quotes: "We bow to the inevitable. We're not wheat, we're buckwheat! When a storm comes along, it flattens ripe wheat because it's dry and can't bend with the wind. But ripe buckwheat's got sap in it and it bends. And when the wind has passed, it springs up almost as straight and strong as before."
"Wyclef Jean?", I ask.
"Margaret Mitchell. «Gone with the Wind». I thought it was appropriate.", Steve answers.
Scarlett has the last word, as women usually have: "I'll think of it all tomorrow, at home, in Jungleland. I can stand it then. Tomorrow, I'll think of some way. After all, tomorrow is another day."