Cancelled to Becoming Rich
“Dad, have you got “Dibawah Bendera Revolusi” (Writings, speeches of the late President Soekarno)?” so Boy asked. It was advertised and priced US $ 4.000.- in the internet for both books. I can place it in the internet.”
“Well do it.” said Opa Johan. “ How nice it would be if it could be sold that much. Calculated at a rate of Rp. 13.000.- a dollar, we would have Rp. 52.million. We suddenly would become rich.” He said to his wife.
“Four hundred dollars for Boy’s efforts, two hundred for An and two hundred for you to repay my moral debt. Ha, ha, ha”. teasing his wife.
“Then have the remaining on deposit with an interest rate of 48% a month. Every month we would earn about Rp. 1,4 million after tax without doing anything. Then send a draft of Rp. 600 thousand to aunt Nora who’s now 80 years living in Palembang. And if necessary, we could provide the woman vagrant with a sum to start a little business. Wow, a common government official doesn’t even get a salary of Rp. 1,4 million. Moreover as I think of those who are fired because of mass unemployment.”
“What, if the books invite a robber in disguise of a buyer as though eager to buy the books?” his daughter in-law warned
After a week, Boy said: “It’s just that the books are supposed to be worth such a lot, so many adds are in the papers (for weeks), in fact there’s no one who would buy them.”
“So, I’m cancelled to becoming rich.,” said Opa Johan to his wife.
It doesn’t matter though, as we don’t become poorer.” His wife comforted.
“Except to becoming richer in grey hair and an increase in years. Ha, ha, ha.”
I then remembered the Dutch saying: ”Zich blij maken met een dode mus.” Don’t gladden yourself with something, hopes which turns out just to be a dead sparrow, an empty dream.
From Bisnis Indonesia, August 21, 1998
January 2011
“Dad, have you got “Dibawah Bendera Revolusi” (Writings, speeches of the late President Soekarno)?” so Boy asked. It was advertised and priced US $ 4.000.- in the internet for both books. I can place it in the internet.”
“Well do it.” said Opa Johan. “ How nice it would be if it could be sold that much. Calculated at a rate of Rp. 13.000.- a dollar, we would have Rp. 52.million. We suddenly would become rich.” He said to his wife.
“Four hundred dollars for Boy’s efforts, two hundred for An and two hundred for you to repay my moral debt. Ha, ha, ha”. teasing his wife.
“Then have the remaining on deposit with an interest rate of 48% a month. Every month we would earn about Rp. 1,4 million after tax without doing anything. Then send a draft of Rp. 600 thousand to aunt Nora who’s now 80 years living in Palembang. And if necessary, we could provide the woman vagrant with a sum to start a little business. Wow, a common government official doesn’t even get a salary of Rp. 1,4 million. Moreover as I think of those who are fired because of mass unemployment.”
“What, if the books invite a robber in disguise of a buyer as though eager to buy the books?” his daughter in-law warned
After a week, Boy said: “It’s just that the books are supposed to be worth such a lot, so many adds are in the papers (for weeks), in fact there’s no one who would buy them.”
“So, I’m cancelled to becoming rich.,” said Opa Johan to his wife.
It doesn’t matter though, as we don’t become poorer.” His wife comforted.
“Except to becoming richer in grey hair and an increase in years. Ha, ha, ha.”
I then remembered the Dutch saying: ”Zich blij maken met een dode mus.” Don’t gladden yourself with something, hopes which turns out just to be a dead sparrow, an empty dream.
From Bisnis Indonesia, August 21, 1998
January 2011
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