And they were crying all the time. Same! Same with this owner of the house. At first very suspicious and harsh to me, and later, very nice – touched and crying and all that. Just to show you how much love is missing in this world. This is not their fault that they are suspicious like that. It’s just because they have not been treated kindly all their lifetime. They have never encountered people who are genuine or kind to them, or really just... are not all about money.
She said, “But anytime You want to come back and look, You can.” I said, “Yeah, I know that. Thank you very much!” And so, next time, I went to sign, that’s it. I didn’t even come back here to get the key or anything. I delegated somebody else, you know, one of you here. And then I told them how to do, what to repair and do something. You know, open windows and all that upstairs, make it more bright upstairs. Because it’s only an attic, and it was just bare. There was nothing there, no floor. She just kept things up there, like a storage. So, we attempted to do that, and then I repaired the roof also. The roof was even leaking and all that. And cleaned up, washed up, and changed the carpet. Whatever, everything we did here.
So, I didn’t come. And then she was kind of crying. She was crying on the phone; she wanted to speak to me, or through the person who came for the key, because she couldn’t bear it that I didn’t come to even get the key: What kind of a woman who doesn’t care? Gives more money! Gives jewelry! Doesn’t come to get the key when you get the house!
And she made me wait for a long time, many months. Because she said she must look for another place and blah, blah, blah... And also, she has clients to take care of. I said, “Of course, of course. You do that, of course! And as soon as you’re ready, you tell us.” She said she didn’t even know when. At first she said how long, and then later she extended longer. More money, but don’t want to go quick. And so I said, “Never mind, you take your time.” Because I think she’s an old lady. Why do I hassle her? And it must be very difficult for her to leave a place that she has been working for all her life, almost. So I said, “Take your time. And even if you reconsider, you don’t want to sell at all, because you feel it’s your sentimental place, then please let me know. I’ll just re-sign it. That’s it. OK? Don’t worry, everything is fine.” So, she kept extending the date. I said, “OK, when you’re ready, you just call my notary, and tell him that you’re ready to sign. No rush, no hurry. Take your time.”
OK, fine. And then finally assigned the date, I came to sign, and then she quizzed me so much! So next time, I just asked somebody to come and get the key and repair. I just gave the money for them to repair, because there was nothing here for them. They didn’t even have a car. We had to buy a little car so people can come, so your sisters and brothers can go buy food, shopping. To eat, no? Otherwise, how? They walk to the supermarket? It’s very far. And then they repaired it. It was very nice of them. And now you have a better place.
But that woman, she was crying on the phone when I didn’t come: “I only know You! I don’t know this lady.” I said, “You will know her now. She’s very nice, and she’s one of your countrymen, so you trust her better, no?” “No, I trust You, I trust You more.” I said, “Don’t worry, she’s my confidante. You just give her the keys, and I signed the paper already. Don’t worry about it.” Because my arm was broken at that time, I could not even sign with the right hand. I had to sign with the left hand. I said, “But then I talked to you, I talked to the lawyer. Everything is OK.” So, she was crying, saying, “When will You come back?”
This is the second person who cried over me not coming back. There was one more in Canada like that. First, they were “squeezing” me and did all kinds of things to me, and even kicked me out of the rented house because I had dog-people. They were scared that the dog-people would scare the neighbors, and all that. And then I had to go in the trailer park, to stay all the time. It was very cold already, October already, until the house was ready. Because we signed already, but the money had not come. And it’s not just money, it’s the bureaucracy. It took maybe three weeks, two weeks to get the house. That time, I bought a house in Canada. It is a long story. You just know I bought one, but I sold it already. Don’t dream about it.
It was a very good house, next to the... It’s an industrial town, but it’s next to the beach, very nice, on the water. But it’s very cheap there. At least a common house, a wood house, like Canada. And because I had dog- and pet-people at that time, I needed to house them, otherwise, I didn’t have to even stay in Canada. But that was also very difficult. It’s a very difficult story again. And meanwhile, I stayed in a trailer park. And then later, when I sold the house, I didn’t come back to sell, I delegated one of the residents. And that lady and the gentleman, they both were crying, sighing, “Why You don’t come? Why is She not coming back again?”
What for? My God, just to sell the house? And they were crying every time they talked about me, during all the time that the selling was going on. The resident had been with them every day, almost every day, until the house was sold, and they were crying all the time. And later she told her, “Your boss...” Because I said, “This is my secretary.” They told the secretary, “Oh, your boss is very powerful! All the time She was here, She worked with me, I saw She was doing all kinds of charity work, and She didn’t want anybody to know about it. That’s number one thing. But She trusted us, and She went with us shopping, and went find out where the poor people were and all that. But She’s very powerful. Whatever She wants, She gets. I noticed that! Who is She? Who’s your boss?” So the resident, so-called secretary said, “Oh, She’s just a very nice lady. She likes to help people.”
And they were crying all the time. Same! Same with this owner of the house. At first very suspicious and harsh to me, and later, very nice – touched and crying and all that. Just to show you how much love is missing in this world. This is not their fault that they are suspicious like that. It’s just because they have not been treated kindly all their lifetime. They have never encountered people who are genuine or kind to them, or really just... are not all about money. Because they’re business people, and they earn a living very hard sometimes.
Even the realtors, to sell a house, you have to show maybe sometimes a hundred houses. And the clients say, “Oh, no, I don’t want this; I don’t want that.” And sometimes they don’t even know what they want. So, this realtor was also very surprised that I just saw it, and then I got it. I didn’t ask questions so much, and everything was OK. Because I know a house is a house. It’s never to your taste, right? Unless you built it yourself. And even then, the builder sometimes might change it, or influence you to build something that later you’ll regret. So, if you want to buy a perfect house, I think you need to wait a little while until you go to Heaven, no?
So, I never really question a lot, and like, splitting hairs and all that. So, if I buy a house, and I feel, it’s comfortable for us, there’s enough room for everybody… I consider first for everybody, if has room or not. And if not you, then my dog-people, and my team, nearby, my people who work around me. Otherwise, I don’t consider anything else – the house is safe and has enough room. And has the basics: hot water, heater, electricity, water and rooms, that’s it. And if there’s anything else you don’t like, of course, you can change it. But who cares? What for change anything? Unless the roof’s leaking of course, we repair it. And the carpet was old and, of course, worn out; then we changed it. For cleanliness. And of course, if the paint is not good, then we repaint it.
Just fit enough for you to come. Just a little decent, basic. There’s no luxury here. We don’t want any. What for? You all close your eyes all day, you see nothing! Luxury? Should I put a gold statue here, it matters nothing to you. Right? If I put an antique or anything, we will have to throw it out, so that we can have room to sit. So, what’s the use of anything at all? The purpose is just for you to come and be comfortable. Are you comfortable, by the way? (Yes. It’s incredible.) You are.
So, do treat people with kindness. That is the lesson. After the kindness, they will get used to it, and they will think, “Oh, there are some kind people after all.” Like yesterday, there was a taxi driver who took me only halfway, and then he didn’t have time anymore. He said he had to run, and he arranged for another colleague to come and pick me up. The woman, the lady who came yesterday, was my second driver. Even from Klagenfurt to here, I needed two taxis. What a time, two taxis! You understand this? If he didn’t have time, then he could have told me! No, he took me, and then halfway through, he returned me. He said, “Oh, I have to arrange for another woman to take You, because I think I couldn’t make it anyway.”
First, he liked to take me very much. He said, “Oh, I would really like to take You, this beautiful lady, but I really can’t.” He wanted to take me so much, so he said, “Just come in.” He arranged a seat for me to sit, and then halfway through, he brought me back. He said, “No, I really I don’t have time. I must pick up my client from the airport. I can’t let him sit there.” First, he really wanted to, but later on, he “woke up” and he said no, he could not. I think I must have blinded him. He looked at the watch, but he still told me to get in. He knew where I was going, to go in his taxi, and then he brought me back, and then called the other taxi to come to pick me up. But even then, I still gave him some money after.
So, I gave the tip to the lady, and then I said, “But you give the other one ten euros.” Because I had only five euros with me, in my pocket, at that time. The rest were big bills, and they didn’t’ want it. They had not ever seen it – 500-euro bill. I said, “See. This is why I could not give him the tip.” She said, “Oh! I’ve never seen this. I’ve heard about it.” I said, “Well, if you take a big sum like 10,000 from the bank, then they’ll give you 500-euro bills, so you don’t have to put a lot of money in your pocket. Because sometimes I need it for business, buying big things.” She said, “I understand, but I have never seen it.” I said, “OK. Look at it.” And she touched it.
So, I even gave her money to give to the first taxi driver, because at least he arranged another taxi for me. At least he showed his willingness and friendliness. He didn’t have to do that, also. He could have just dropped me there. There was no other taxi around there, and I would have been standing there, waiting also. So, he arranged the car. And when we arrived, she picked me up immediately. So, that was very efficient of him and very nice of him. And also, he was very nice to his client. Even though he was so blinded into taking me into his cab, but afterward, he said, “No, he’s my client. I cannot let him stand in the airport or cannot arrange.” I said, “Can you not arrange for another colleague to pick him up instead, and then you can still continue to take me to my place?” He said, “No, no, he’s my client. I’d better take care of him.” So, you see what I mean?
I said I would give him more money later, “Because look, I have only 500 bills here; I cannot give you more. I have only like seven dollars with me.” But he said, “OK, five is enough, good enough.” I said, “No, no, I will send you another ten, because you wasted your time, and I made you hectic like this, for me. I thank you anyway.” So, he couldn’t believe it, and the woman also couldn’t believe it because… I said, “OK, the fee is only about 50-something.” And I said, “OK, but I don’t have money. Can somebody lend me some?” She asked how much, I said, “Oh, maybe 70, 80, something.” And the taxi driver, the woman, said, “How about 100?” I said, “OK, 100, bring it out.” So, I gave it all to her later, and she couldn’t believe it. Well, she asked for it, no? And then she couldn’t believe it. I said, “But give ten euros to your colleague, the man who called you.” A commission, for business connection. Anyway, she could not believe it.
I said, “Oh never mind, it’s normal, because you have a child, have a son who studies.” And she’s alone. She’s a widow. And she works even Saturday, Sunday. She works as a taxi driver and she works another job just to raise her son. So I said, “It’s OK, you’re a good woman. It’s alright, don’t worry.” So I invited her for a (non-alcoholic) drink and gave her a lot of fruits and (vegan) candies, cakes, cookies, to bring home. And she was always, “Oh, oh, my God, my God, my God...” Very nice! Just to show you how much kindness is lacking in the world.
