Sunday, 10th March 1996
It's been about a month now that I've been friends with Diana, whom I met in the gym. She is 26 years old, she has studied French Literature, she is a successful sales manager in a big company which trades in books, she gets a monthly salary of 240,000 drachmas, and she has a rich social life. In two words, she is a normal person! I can hardly believe she and I have become friends!
At first she makes a good impression to me, as she proves to be an intelligent, interesting, dynamic person, entirely different from all the other friends I've had so far. On the other hand, any time I tell her about my problems at work, such as continuous computer breakdowns, she jumps at the opportunity to belittle and offend me: “But what are you, a nitwit? Don't you know how to fix a system error by yourself?” … “What kind of company is this you work for? I think your boss is a niggard!” … “People who do office work are stupid!”
I began to suspect what's going on with her last night, when we went out together and she revealed more details about her job: As a sales manager, she controls some teams of commercial travellers. Mostly they sell in Athens, but they also travel all over Greece and sell books door to door.
“Peasants are very easy to handle: Before they know it, they are persuaded to buy expensive encyclopedias, which they pay by monthly installments!” Diana said complacently.
“How is this possible? As far as I know, people hardly open their doors to travelling salesmen!” I retorted, but Diana was ready to answer:
“People do open their doors and buy whatever they are told, if the salesman knows his job!”
According to Diana, travelling salesmen are superhuman beings, a lot superior to the average person. Firstly, they attend some special seminars which render them omnipotent speakers, able to persuade anyone to do anything; moreover, they get exceptional knowledge of psychology, so that they can control perfectly the subconscious of a potential customer, making him or her buy whatever they want, no matter how expensive or useless it is...
Tuesday, 19th March 1996
Like any time we go out together for a coffee, once again this afternoon Diana is trumpeting forth how proud she is of her job. She believes she is great at what she does and she likes bragging about it: “A good sales manager, like me, is irreplaceable! Not like all those stupid office clerks who are all disposable!”
Then, full of arrogance, she claims it is very easy for a travelling salesman to earn as much as 600,000 drachmas per month, whereas the basic salary of an office employee is no more than 140,000 drachmas. “They are losers, who stupidly make do with 140,000 drachmas a month; they are cyphers, all of them!” she cries pompously and goes on with an air of profundity: “A businessman wants to earn as much as possible, this is natural! He will pay you as little as he can, unless you prove to him you deserve to be given something more!” … “A clever businessman will hire a secretary who will work for him for a month or so ''on trial'', then he will tell her she is incompetent and he will fire her without paying her a dime; then he will hire another stupid chick who will work for him for another month without payment, then another one will take her place, and so on, until he finds the one who will satisfy him fully” harangues Diana, showing her admiration for bosses.
When I tell her I earn no more than 160,000 drachmas per month, she looks at me scornfully and says: “You work in the production department, I work in the sales department -that's the difference! There is only one kind of work that's worth the while today, and this is sales!” she concludes triumphantly.
“Yes, but I work only six hours a day, whereas you work ten hours and you aren't paid any overtime! If I worked so many hours as you, I would earn more than 250,000 per month!” I reply and she shuts up.
Tuesday, 26th March 1996
This afternoon I saw Diana at the gym, we had an aerobics lesson and then, as we were leaving together, she revealed to me some more interesting details about her job; in fact, she didn't hesitate at all to describe -always with an air of importance- a fixed fraud committed by the company she works for: It all starts with an advertisement they place in the newspaper every week, looking for new commercial travellers; they offer an alluring basic salary, as well as commission on the sales, plus social security.
“What if someone doesn't sell enough in a month?” I wonder.
“Every would-be salesman signs a contract which contains a penal clause: If the salesman doesn't sell enough within the first month of work, which is ''on trial'', they are not only fired without being paid but they also have to pay 50,000 drachmas to the company!” she explains with glowing eyes.
“Amazing! Maybe I could organize a trick like this so as to earn some serious money!” I exclaim spontaneously.
“Our company offers you two weeks of free seminars!” snorts Diana. “These lessons provide you with all the knowledge you need so as to manipulate customers and sell books. If you don't sell, it means you are a moron and the company has suffered a loss by allowing you to participate in the seminars. So, they do what's right: they fire you, they don't give you a dime and they make you pay the penal clause!”
“What if someone refuses to pay?”
“If anyone dares oppose to us, our team of lawyers will take their pants!”
“I bet the company earns more from penal clauses than from book sales!” I conclude.
... That explains it: I have heard about certain persons lately who, although they are illiterate, have become successful travelling salesmen and earn up to 700,000 drachmas per month! Taking into account that a salesman's commission is no higher than 10%, how do they manage to make sales of 7,000,000 drachmas every month? What do they really sell? Encyclopedias? Come on now! Nowadays you can find cheap and voluminous encyclopedias in bookstores or, even, on offer in newspapers! Why would anyone pay dearly a commercial traveller? Unless they sell other things, other ''services'', instead of books...
Tuesday, 11th June 1996
I barely go out with Diana anymore, I don't like her and she doesn't like me; yet I still meet her at the gym. This afternoon she looked distracted but triumphant, as she showed me two or three circular bruises on her right hand; looking at them more carefully, I saw they were bites.
“Did a dog bite you?” I asked her.
“No! It was a would-be saleswoman!” she answered, and I was flabbergasted.
Then, with an air of importance, she narrated the whole story to me: Yesterday morning a young woman came into Diana's office; she aspired to become a professional commercial traveller, she was beautiful and well-dressed, with a pleasant personality; in two words, she looked suitable for the job. She also signed the contract without reading the “small letters” -just like most candidates do. However, as soon as she realized the fraud (too late), she pounced on Diana and fought very hard to grab the contract from her hands and tear it up -she even bit her! Unfortunately for the girl, in the end she didn't manage to get the contract.
“Our lawyers are going to put her into very serious trouble!” went on Diana, glowing with exhilaration. “I have already sued her, because that imbecile bit a nerve on my hand and I can't close it well now!” – humbug: there is nothing wrong with Diana's hand. “I will ask her to make amends to me for this injury, I can demand three million drachmas at least, our lawyers say! Woo is her, who dared tangle with me!” Diana burst out, full of anger.
“Will it be so simple? Won't she also hire a lawyer?”
“Nobody can confront the lawyers of our company!” Diana exclaimed, obviously vexed. “Their main job is to take care of all those nitwits who refuse to pay the penal clause!” While shouting, she got even more exasperated: “My fair lady, you were stupid enough to sign the contract! So, pay the fifty thousand and let us be!” she screamed like a drama actress.
After we had left the gym, Diana stopped at a telephone booth so as to phone her lawyer, as she told me. I stood at a distance and waited, but she kept shouting – I guess on purpose, because she wanted me to hear and envy her: “So,
I can ask for even more money... four million drachmas... maybe more! Fine, fine! Thank you very much!” … “You saw?” she smiled to me cunningly as soon as she hung up. “That's why you must always have a lawyer handy! Better yet, have not only one, but many! In this way, you can make a lot of money from suckers! I am going to leave that bitch penniless!” she concluded triumphantly.
“Why don't you send her to me too? I need some millions of drachmas too!”
“But... but she won't make the same mistake again!” Diana stuttered; obviously, she didn't get the irony.
“Tell her to come and find me in Pangaea, on the fifth floor! She shouldn't go to the third floor, the bosses are there and they don't need any more money! I do!” I kept on pulling her leg.
I will never find out how this story ends. I will see Diana at the gym two more times till the end of the month and that's all...
Tuesday, 18th June 1996
This evening I had an unexpected phone call from Rena, one of the most “advanced” disciples in Janus -she also happens to be the secretary of the centre. With remarkable politeness, as well as subtle pressure, she asked me to translate (free of charge, of course) Alexander's book “Self-knowledge and Metaphysics” from Greek into English as soon as possible, so that they can present it at the Book Fair of Frankfurt in October.
I accepted willingly, because I wanted to show good will, obedience and a spirit of service to the leaders of Janus, hoping they will eventually begin to like me. Right from tomorrow I will start working on the translation feverishly, aiming to finish it by the end of summer. It should be noted that the book is rather badly-written...
Thursday, 20th June 1996
As I was informed by an advertisement posted up all over the city of Athens, a famous lama has just arrived in Greece. He is of European origin but he has spent many years in Tibet; for many years now, he has been travelling all over the world teaching Tibetan Buddhism. This afternoon he is giving a lecture about how to face unhappiness. He seems to be a very agreeable person, and the subject interests me a lot; moreover, the lecture is taking place at a centre of Buddhism which is only some metres away from Aphrodite's house!
I wish to attend the lecture but I would rather not go alone, so at about noon I phone Aphrodite and let her know. I expect her to be enthusiastic about it, yet I am nonplussed at her immediate frigidity: “I have nothing to do this afternoon, but I am not in the mood of going to such a lecture, I had better stay home alone,” she announces in a low voice and leaves me wondering, since she has always given me the impression of being very interested in such matters. I try to bring her round, she resists, I emphasize I will come all the way from Glyfada, while she will only have to walk some metres; she grumbles a little more and finally she says in a plaintive voice: “Alright, Yvonne, I will come. But you should know I will do so just because a friend is asking me to, there is no other reason!”. I don't like this conclusion, but I act the fool so as to achieve my goal.
We meet outside the centre of Buddhism at 8:00 o' clock. I wonder again, because Aphrodite doesn't seem to be bored or sulky now, she looks cheerful and lively. The lama proves to be quite agreeable and interesting, he answers all questions carefully and diplomatically, he surely knows how to win his audience over to his views. He speaks English and one of his disciples translates his words into Greek. At a moment, he advises us: “When bad things happen to you, instead of thinking ''I am unhappy'', you had better think ''There is unhappiness in the world''. In this way, you won't be feeling like a target any more!”
This statement makes me think because it breaks the Ego; on the other hand, it is a reasonable way to fight that dominant impression I have had ever since I was an infant: I have never stopped feeling like a target of visible and invisible evil forces, though I often try to ignore it. Maybe this feeling is nothing more than selfishness in disguise -according to the lama and most gurus...