Klauci had sent me a few pictures on WhatsApp and a voice message. Perfect! They found the car! I called him.
- Green, didn't you listen to the voice message?!
- I know it might not be the best time, considering the late hour, but... I want to know more details.
- It's in the Country of Luana, just like you told me... We didn't get close to it, and to make sure no one does, we brought in the Fortune Teller... she's the woman dressed in purple... we don't mess with women like that. They're dangerous. You should wear red if you plan to go get the car, and tell your friend the same... witchcraft doesn't affect those who wear that color.
- Thanks! At the entrance or exit of...?
- You can't miss the place. Trust me! Once you enter the Country of Luana, you'll walk about 500 meters or so.
- Besides that lady... is anyone else there? Have you secured the area? Don't let anyone get close. Be careful with the press and anyone who might circle around there. I'll come to pick it up in maximum 2 hours.
- My guys are at key points. We can't stay too close or we'll raise suspicion... Yes, we're keeping an eye out. We won't let anyone with a camera get close. Are you coming with your own car? If not, let us know the registration number and model so we can let you in.
- I'll send you a picture of the car.
- Alright, bye! The Gypsy hung up before I could say goodbye.
There was a deathly silence in the room, but at the same time, an indescribable tension. The three ladies were burning with curiosity, eager for even the smallest detail.
- I'm heading to Buzău! That's all I managed to say.
- I'm coming with you, FĂ! The blonde stood up from her seat and was by my side in a few steps.
- No! You need to stay here. I grabbed Anna by the arm. Our eyes met. She knew I was serious in such situations... it was still a delicate issue. The only person I could trust in that house was my drinking buddy.
- You can't stop me from doing this. And even if you try, I'm still going to follow you. It's my job! Hye-jin stood up from the armchair.
- And my wife, who will stay with her? I spoke coldly and authoritatively to the secretary.
The silence took over again, but it didn't last long because my blonde started searching her bag for the car key. When she found it, she whispered to me: - Take it! Be careful! I don't know why, but I feel like crying. Something tells me this is the beginning of the end for us... FĂ, I don't want this! Be cautious! I know you're hot-headed... I know you're not a bad person... I like to think I'll see you again, but... why do I feel empty inside?
- Anna, you've been watching too many K-dramas. I forced a laugh. Finally, I admitted: I'll be fine! I'd hug you if I could...
- Don't worry, FĂ, I'll do it!
Stay safe! And take care of yourself. I don't know how much time I'll have left, but I'd like to have another drink sometime... I was aware from the beginning that in this case, even a single wrong step would make me say goodbye to everything, but it's not the first time I've put everything on the line.
- Since you said I don't have anything scheduled tomorrow, please make sure it stays that way. If anyone asks for me, I'm busy. I'm not allowed to speak... You know what to do, right? I addressed the secretary while the Countess wiped away her tears.
- My mascara got in my eyes... I'll recover immediately, she tried to fix the situation.
Eun-hee smiled slightly, while Hye-jin nodded approvingly.
- We're leaving! Like lightning, I passed from one room to another, and before you could blink, I was already at the gate. As soon as I stepped outside, the headlights of a car nearly blinded me.
- Madam, I was told to bring this to you. One of Anna's butlers had already opened the door for me, inviting me to enter. Drive safely! Oh, there are some snacks and water in the back. The Countess asked me to place them there for you, the man continued talking.
- Thank you! I closed the door and took off in a hurry. But not before I remembered to turn on the music... somehow, a Pakistani song flooded my ears, reminding me of when I left Romania.
- Zafar, are you sure about what you're doing?
The Ambassador of Pakistan in Romania nodded slightly. In his hand was my ticket to freedom and to another land.
- Will you have problems?
- No!
- Are you sure?
- Yes!
I looked him in the eyes. They were the same sincere eyes I had seen the first time we accidentally met.
- What do I have to do for that? I kept staring at him.
- Nothing! You're my friend, and you'll be a guest in my country. There, no one will know you, you can walk, dance, and enjoy Pakistani culture. From time to time, write to me or send me a postcard. I often get homesick...
- Okay! But will you be fine?
- Yes!
- No problems?
- None! His Excellency smiled at me, then continued, "The plane won't wait for you. Freedom is there! Don't lose it."
I got out of the car, incredibly quickly passed through all the formalities, and boarded the plane. My heart was pounding like crazy. Scenarios were running through my mind...
- Did something happen, Mr. Green? A woman, under 30 years old, was sitting next to me, and from her complexion and speech, she seemed to be from... Pakistan.
- No, not really, but...
- I understand! You don't need to worry. I'll be your personal guide. My mission in Romania was ending anyway...
Somehow, Zafar had taken care of everything? I couldn't believe it! It was the first time in a long while that someone was protecting me. It felt strange. I didn't even know how I should react... I had to somehow respond to the bodyguard, so I slightly inclined my body.
- We'll be traveling for 10 hours, and we have a layover. If you have any problems, please let me know. We should be landing at Islamabad airport around noon tomorrow, the lady next to me kept talking.
- I'll take a little nap...
Toward Sărata-Monteoru...
- When did we get this close to the Country of Luana? It feels like just a minute ago we left Bucharest... I'll have to praise the leadership in Buzău and the mayor of the town for putting up a visible sign... well, somewhat visible... I threw a glance in the rearview mirror. Yes, when did this car appear behind me? It's not Kaluci's... it has Bucharest plates and... it's a taxi?! Oh, I should call him... I slowly lifted my foot off the accelerator, and the car started to decelerate.
- Did you arrive?
- I just entered Sărata-Monteoru. But, see, I'm disguised...
- Don't worry, we know who you are.
- Alright!
- I'll call the guys.
- May you have baht[Good luck in Romani]! I ended the call. A few seconds passed, and I was deep in thought, holding the phone. The mobile rang, and I don't know how I did it or how my fingers slipped on the screen, but I heard...
- FĂ, stop the car! Don't you see they've been flashing their lights at you since you left Bucharest?
- Countess???
- Yes, who did you think it was... Grandma from China? Of course, it's me, FĂ!
- Who else is in the car?
- Honey, what kind of question is that? Who else would be in the car? Eun-hee and Hye-jin...
I immediately hit the brakes.
- FĂ, you could have signaled!
I didn't respond to the Countess. Suddenly, I hung up the phone and opened the car doors.
- FĂ, if we had an accident, huh? You'd ruin my precious car? In the blink of an eye, Anna was already beside me, hitting me hard with her purse. My God, what a day! Only purses, that's all I've gotten!
- When you calm down, let me know... until then, everyone in the car!
The Countess might have wanted to say something more, but when her eyes met mine, she realized she couldn't add anything more. The Koreans didn't understand what was going on.
- FĂ, it's good you stopped. I don't know what we'd have done in this thicket, especially since it's night... The blonde tried to make conversation while I kept my attention on the road. I didn't want to hit a deer, and besides that... I was getting closer to the entrance of Luana's Country. The car must be somewhere around here... but where?! This place is huge... The cave settlements, the Babele of Buzău are here too, Hânsaru Lake, Arsenie Peak, Zboiu Peak, Aluniș, Poiana Cozeanca, Găvanele...
My phone interrupts my train of thought.
- Yes?
- Have you arrived?
- Yes, but given how big Luana's Country is, I don't know exactly where to find the car.
- My guys told me the car is near the Thieves' Lake.
- Are your kids still around here?
- Yes! Haven't you met them yet?
- I think I just did... The blinding headlights of a car made me hang up the phone. Dazed and nearly blind, I opened the window.
- Is that you? The voice sounded familiar... it was Terente. No, not the famous bandit Terente, the one all the women went crazy for, but Terente, my neighbor.
- Yes!
- I'll take you there, but first... The boy signaled me to pay him.
- Just give me a second to get out of the car and grab it... But I didn't get to finish my sentence before the back window opened, and Hye-jin handed the gypsy a suitcase full of money.
- Open it! Eun-hee stuck her head out the window too.
Terente signaled that he wouldn't. - I trust Green. I know what kind of man he is. He went to get back in his car.
- Are you sure he's not going to run off with our money? Hye-jin jumped on me as soon as she saw the neighbor walking away. She nearly strangled me.
- FĂ, let him go, he's turning blue, and then we'll have problems: the gypsies won't leave us alone, the press will destroy us, and to top it off, who's going to play the ambassador role if this one dies? Not to mention you won't even find your boss if this one kicks the bucket. Anna screamed at the secretary. Meanwhile, I was almost suffocating and lightly hitting her arm.
The black off-road BMW in front of us started moving. With a quick honk, it signaled us to follow.
- Hye-jin, that's enough! The boss finally intervened, and I could finally breathe.
- FĂ, wait until I open all the windows. Let's give Pușa some perfume so you can breathe better. I choked even more. Exactly what I needed after nearly being suffocated.
- Go to the back, I'm driving now! The Korean woman reached me in no time.
- Okay... I unbuckled the seatbelt and was about to move to the back, but then... Another honk, even louder, brought us back to reality.
- Hye-jin, leave him! We'll lose time like this. The ambassador's wife intervened again.
I pressed the gas pedal before the woman beside me could reach the backseat again, which made her hit her head on the car ceiling.
- What are you doing?! The brunette somehow made it back to her place, but she was upset. I would have been just as angry if someone had done what I did to her.
- I'm making up for lost time and making sure no one leaves with the suitcase of money for nothing.
We drove for about 5 more minutes, after which we were told to get out of the car.
- What now? The secretary, who had transformed into a real bodyguard, was displeased.
- We have to go on foot! Terente approached us.
- Do you have any idea how far? Eun-hee would have liked the information to be more detailed.
- I don't know, but this is strange... the cars can't usually get close to Thieves' Lake because it's well guarded by the forest. Without realizing it, the gypsy made me think if there wasn't another access route.
Thieves' Lake is located at almost 1000 meters altitude. The area frequently experiences landslides. Could the car have fallen off a road in the Ivănețu Ridge Massif? My battle plans are in vain. Nothing I think can be checked. At least not at this hour of the night... I miss Baba and the rest of the gang.
- Hye-jin, take care of Eun-hee! That's an order! Even Terente flinched when he heard me yell.
When my neighbor recovered, he warned us too: - Yes, it would be good... it rained last night, and the road is quite slippery. There are no paths here. We might also find some snakes. Be careful.
- Snakes, FĂ?! The Countess jumped into my arms.
- Anna, you won't get hurt!
We climbed and climbed until we stopped in a unique clearing deep in the forest. We were immediately drawn to the beautiful reflection of Thieves' Lake, where the full moon shone. This place, due to its remoteness and inaccessibility, was a favorite meeting spot for outlaws. They often gathered here, hid from pursuers, or buried their treasures. No wonder it has been called Thieves' Lake for centuries. Even though not all our outlaws were bad guys and didn't just gather wealth for themselves, there were also characters in history who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
We all think we heard the smile of the Thieves' Stream, which broke the silence of the place that night.
This land once belonged to the logofăt Nicolae Băleanu. A long time ago, very long ago, a grand hunting lodge stood here. At least that's what many local legends say.
Under the surface of the water, where the timid azure of the sky is reflected, one can see the creatures of the lake, moving frantically, almost as if in an endless dance. The old pontoons, on which I think the logofăt often walked alone to gather his thoughts or in the company of some courtesan, whom he charmed with this fairytale-like stretch of land, emerge from the reeds, which still seem to cling to the visible edges. I believe they are the only ones who can still testify that once, long ago, fishing was done here, and for this practice, the locals, and not just them, got to know the place better.