#10: Silly Paper Tokens

I am the administrative arm of our business. Yes, I am the Vice President for Administration, the Administrative manager and the Administrative staff. Heck, I am even the messenger of our little company most of the time that is why I am more or less familiar with the banking rituals. In our bank, when you open an account, you should bring IDs, a billing address to be sure, fill-out forms, sign in numerous blanks, the works. They want the IDs photocopied so they can keep a copy. Twice we opened an account, twice we went out to hunt for a photocopier to accomplish this. This story happened during one of those bank errands when I assumed the role of the messenger.

I dropped by our bank to pick-up our bank statements. I sat at the customer service counter, hoping someone would notice my eagerly-waiting look and attend to my transaction. Five minutes passed by and no one even looked at me. I refused to become impatient  because I can see that the ladies in blue behind the counters were busy. Some are politely smiling at their clients, some are staring intensely at pieces of paper.

That was when boredom opened another of my eye and saw this good-smelling-looking lady to my right. She is probably in her late thirties. On her forearm is a gold bracelet and an expensive but simple watch, on her ears, a pair of pearl earrings. She's just in a cotton collared shirt and cream walking shorts. Her fair, smooth skin tells me she doesn't stay long in areas without airconditioning. It is probable that dust hardly touch her. With pleasant confidence, the woman approached the counter and sat down. A blue lady #1 caught the whiff of money hanging in her presence and immediately, came to her.

'I want to open an account please.'

'Very well, ma'am. Will you please sign these forms?'

'ok.' she smiles.

While this was happening, a man with as much elegance and confidence came in and sat beside the lady. No one can deny that this couple is oozing with an aura of wealth. The simple simply-rich.

Meanwhile, to my left, my other bored eye noticed this small, thin girl in her early twenties. She clutches a tacky plastic envelope that job applicants usually bring to keep their documents in. she stands a little behind me because there are no more available seats. as if to make sure I feel ignored, blue lady #2 notices her first, asked her poker-faced,

'Ano iyon?'

'Mag-open po ako ng account.'

'Dala mo ID mo'

'Pwede po ba ito?'  Handing out her passport

'Ok iyan. Ipa-photocopy mo muna.'

'Sige po.'

The girl places the passport inside her plastic pouch and went out. My attention reverted to the well-off couple. I looked at them just in time to see their messenger come in, IDs and bond papers in hand. He gave them to blue lady#1.

'Ma'am ito na po IDs niyo' said blue lady

'Ok thanks'

Apparently, they were not asked to go out to look for a photocopier, just like the skinny girl beside me, like me and my husband in all the times we opened accounts. In typical sunny bank commercial fashion, the simply-rich smiles as they filled-out the forms and counted cash in 500s.

I felt furious, insulted, discriminated and disrespected. I wanted to go to them and ask them to tell this couple to go out and photocopy their IDs themselves, the way all the other clients did. It would have been fine if they posted a sign saying 'people with big blings and hot cars get free photocopying service'. At least it would have prepared me for this inequality. But somehow I got pasted to my seat as I quickly became overwhelmed with a profound sadness and pity for this world. If you look like money hangs from you the way bells hang from a Christmas tree, you'll most likely be treated well. It is amazing and disheartening how money, or even the prospect of it, can bend rules, define politeness, secure seats and distort loyalties. But what is money? They are units, numbers defined by paper tokens.

In my pondering, I was interrupted by a blue lady, finally asking me what they can do for me. How I wish I looked rich so they could have attended to me earlier and I was spared this depressing scene. I finished my business, went out of the bank, faintly disgusted but also grateful that I don't belong in this world and I won't have to be stuck with these silly paper tokens.