The Stick. There is so much in this word. And this topic is probably still alive. For starters, I will explain what it means. “The Stick” (from Russian “palka” – “stick”) is Paypal, the world famous Internet payment system. It’s all very simple. You tie your bank account to the Paypal account and transfer money from it. It is done this way to ensure safety of bank accounts. The Stick is tied directly to your credit card, so you do not have to input it while paying for stuff online. You can use the Stick to pay for all Ebay auctions, etc. In fact, it’s one of the most developed international payment systems. Almost all Western online stores accept it for payment. Besides, these payments are hailed as some of the safest. I was reading about Paypal all night and was able to fall asleep only by morning. I had a dream about a restaurant and lots of friends in it. Everybody was congratulating me with something and drinking expensive drinks. No, it wasn’t the type of party a la “lots of dancing chicks”, even though it wasn’t without the opposite sex. Though these ones eclipsed any “chicks” with their grace and beauty of their evening dresses. Classical music, live mini-orchestra and fire in a real fireplace. I wanted to start earning real money so much. In my dreams I already held them in my hands, but in reality I was still saving up and smoking “Primas”. (Since then, many years past I would remember these times with a kind of tenderness. Nostalgia would take over me to such point that sometimes I would dress a certain way, come out onto the street and collect bottles in a park, then I would turn them in for money and would give this money to some grandma begging for change or buy a couple of bottles of the cheap “Zhigulevskoe” beer). After lunch, I turned on the computer with a reflexive movement of my foot. Yes, yes, foot. This movement was perfected to automation. The elegant turning on of the computer with my left toe when my right foot was planted on the floor. This way I would always wake up from the “right foot”. ICQ gave out a message right away:
— You awake?
— Hi. Yes.
— Have you read everything about the stick on the forum?
— Uh huh.
— Tune your system to UK. I’ll give you a couple of accounts, so you can train.
— OK. I’ll tell you as soon as I tune it, — I signed off in order to change my computer’s settings.
It’s not difficult to switch your system’s settings to Britain from the US. I changed the time zone, plus UK English settings and switched to a proxy from the glorious city of London.
— Ready.
— OK. The accounts are already in your mailbox. You also have a list of merchandise that you need to purchase from Ebay auctions. For starters, I’ll give you the drops, then look for them yourself.
— Alright. Let’s try.
The drops turned out to be British. Where he got them was a mystery, but it made everything easier. All I had to do was pay for the merchandise from my Paypal accounts. In principle, it was the same punch-in.
In the meanwhile things were getting better. For a month I was working with my partner’s drops, for which I got 10% from the merchandise cost. It’s not really big money, but with enough volume, I would make 60-70 bucks per day. I would work for the whole month without weekends. Everything took me over to the point where sometimes I would buy telephones, cameras and other inexpensive gadgets in my sleep.
Soon a day came where I decided to cash in.
I went to geo.webmoney.ru, found a couple exchange terminals that would satisfy me territorially. I chose one around the “Tverskaya” metro station, picked up a phone and called.
— Greetings, how can I help you? — I got a clearly non-Russian male voice.
— Hi. I need to cash… — then I thought exactly how much I needed. I already had over two thousand dollars but I needed to leave some money for resources, in case my employer will disappear and I have to start doing business by myself. But I really wanted to go out too, to finally give myself a worthy break about which I had been dreaming. I think I’ll cash fifteen hundred. This way I’ll have enough for life and for the rent and I’ll be able to throw a party. — I need to cash fifteen hundred WMZ.
—Okay, go ahead and transfer the money with a protection code to the online wallet that we will give you and come to our office.
— I’ll be there in half an hour, — I answered and proceeded to transfer the funds.
— I ironed a clean t-shirt and went outside. What a great feeling it is — looking forward to getting money. It’s probably even better than having money. Because when you have them, you don’t think about them anymore, you just start spending. But this way you are just walking and thinking about what you can buy or do with them. It took fifteen minutes for me to walk to the metro. On my way, I smoked my last “Prima” cigarette and decided that I’ll never smoke this crap again. Sure, I was used to it, but the bitter nicotine aftertaste on my lips was annoying me and the yellowing fingertips were scaring me a bit. Now everything can change. Maybe it won’t change but at least will go back to the previous level, when I worked as a bartender. But! Now I had no limit, I could make money whenever and however I wanted.
Having reached Tverskaya, I quickly found the office. I knocked on the door that said “Webmoney” on it and I quietly entered it.
— Hi, I transferred the money to you half an hour ago so I could cash it.
— Yes, yes, come in and sit down. May I have your passport?
Whoops. I didn't think about a passport. It didn’t make sense to show them my real one and I didn’t have a fake one yet.
— Is it necessary? It’s just I live in a Moscow suburb and I forgot it at home, — I lied.
— Actually, yes. Fine, we’ll do the transaction using a passport of one of our clients, but next time definitely bring it with you.
— Sounds good. Thank you.
In five minutes, I had the whole amount in cash, except a few percent transaction fee. Now, I went outside again with a dreamy glisten in my eyes. Having left the office, I decided to take a walk on Tverskaya street. I haven’t been here for a long time, even though I don’t live too far. I bought a bottle of beer and a pack of L&M lights and started thinking how to spend the evening. I was thinking that I really wanted some female company. Maybe I should get a prostitute. Or go to a club and meet someone new there. But for starters I could try to have one of my old girlfriends keep me company. I took my phone in my hands and started to go through the contacts. Oh yes! Zulya!
Ah, the beautiful flights of love! The mixing of Tatar and Russian blood made Zulya one of the most beautiful girls that I ever knew. Her personality was amazing too. But the most important part was that she wasn’t just a very pretty girl, she was my first love. A long time ago we attended the same grammar school and even went out for a half a year. Then we parted ways. Zulya started to go out with my friend and I went to study in a different city. After that we met only once when she came to Moscow to attends RUDN. Our relationship entered a new phase — that of love of an older brother and younger sister, but in my heart I kept dreaming about her being mine.
As I was dialing the number, I was hoping that I wouldn’t hear the regular — “the person whose number you are trying to call is out of network reach”.
— Hello, — A voice that was so close sounded in the receiver
— Zulya, hi, how are you? — I was happy to hear her.
— Hi! I haven’t heard from you for so long. I’m doing fine. Thanks for calling me, how are you doing? — She recognized me right away
— I’m doing this and that. Do you have plans for tonight? Lady, I would like to invite you to go to a restaurant with me. What do you think of that?
— I guess we could. Just not for long, I got a class tomorrow at 10, I can’t be late for it.
— Okay. I’ll be at your dorm at 8 in the evening.
— Sounds great. See you soon then. Glad to hear from you.
— Me too, see you soon.
I hung up. She was the same angel as I remembered. But where would I take her? There are lots of restaurants in Moscow, I just have not been to any for a long time. I think I’ll take her to the one I worked in before I finished my career as a bartender. It’s a great place on Sretenka street, mostly for foreigners, peaceful and quiet.
We met at eight by the dorm. We caught a bomber and headed for Sretenka, to Simple Pleasure. The emotions were endless. She is still just as pretty. Actually no, she became even more beautiful, like a flowering bud. While we were riding around evening Moscow, I couldn’ take my eyes away from her. And she just went on talking. She told me about her student life, about how she went to the States for internship and for in-depth English study. A half an hour passed by like a moment. I paid the bomber and we exited the car. Simple Pleasure really did end up being an ideal choice. I ordered a couple of bottles of Italian sparkling wine and we comfortably settled in on the first floor by the fireplace. The real fireplace, into which the bartenders would sometimes throw more wood. I won’t overload your brain with our conversations, I don’t even remember anymore what we talked about. I only clearly remember what we concentrated on, — our first meeting in Moscow.
— Remember our promise? — asked Zulya, who was already a little drunk
— Of course. You were just trying to get into a few universities in Moscow and was preparing for your exams and I was already having fun on my first vacation.
— Yes, thanks for your support then.
— Oh, don’t worry about it. You know, I’ll never forget how we were standing there on the bridge across the river in Sparrow Hills and swore never to give up. To never surrender in the face of any problems or misfortunes and to always help each other…
— …And to get all the best from life, — she finished my phrase.
— That’s exactly how it’s gonna be, Zulya, believe me. Soon everything will change in our lives. I promise you!
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