Get Rich Quick Schemes

My financial situation, in the context of the terrible and abject poverty of this post-war country attempting to construct a socialist society, was not so bad. 

Doing what I liked to do, I received for this relatively good money, incomparably better than many of my friends, who ailed with the most diverse troubles and financial problems of their own. I owed all this to my talent, intelligence and, above all, luck. 

Still, because the country had not yet developed any kind of number games of the LOTTO type, and the one existing, the National Money Lottery, was, which everyone knew, nothing else but another succession of great Communist hokum, several times I took part in other ventures having as my aim making so-called big money. 

These operations were executed with two, three or even four young go-getters, and this was, for example: recycling of builder’s ceramics, the production of lamp shades,

1 lampshade – 100 złoty

10 lampshades – 1000 złoty

100 lampshades – 10 000 złoty

1000 lampshades – 100 000 złoty

10 000 lampshades – 1000 000 złoty

100 000 lamp... etc.

the production of welded metal furniture, in this case, chairs, armchairs and coffee tables, the underground search of abandoned German banks and the refurbishment and sale of large crystal mirrors. 

Never did any of these attempts end in complete financial success. Often, strongly quarreling, we ended our actions having lost our investment, truthfully never a lot of money, or the take was so disproportionately poor compared to our laughable expectations that the case always after a short time fell apart on its own. 

In retrospect I think that, of course, while counting a little on eventual success, mainly I did this for sociable reasons as opposed to any residual chance at profit in the operation, which we never really believed in fully. 

From these debacles nevertheless arose a certain realization. I knew, for example, that I had to act alone, liberally paying people off who were doing something for me. With associates in the end a divergence of the minds always followed, which in turn changed into a divergence of interests, which always ended in a general flop. 

I knew also, that the most important thing was an objectively and exactly thought-out plan, and more, its peaceful, precise and professional realization.

The second week had already passed, and late every morning I was sure that that day the summons to the EXTRA term had come, and each day happily it had not yet come. 

The beautiful autumn continued along uninterrupted. Still I had absolutely no idea about the hundred thousand. 

I went on as if there were nothing wrong: I trained, once even going on a three-day trip to some tournament, I met with girls, I played bridge regularly, I worked on my illustrations, I came up with, drew and published comics and stupid joke drawings, I ate at good restaurants and, in fact, seemingly without notice I led on the appearance of a carefree Roman life. 

With Bławat the topic was not mentioned: temporarily hung up. 

Passed the third week and the letter about the EXTRA term had happily still not yet arrived. 

Subconsciously I felt that this was already in actuality probably the end. The weather became cooler and the rains came. The long beautiful autumn was definitely ending, and I had nothing, not a thing, of any idea about the hundred thousand. 

Truthfully speaking, finally it began to dawn on me what a terrible amount of money this was. Another few days passed and the summons to the EXTRA term had still not come.