Angels in the Bank

March 27, 2009

Bad news: I ran out of money...

It happens sometimes (I make about $120 a month) but this time I didn't have dollars to change. So I was about to depend on friends when I decided to try an experiement.

Our bank in Mary City has a lovely little "Mastercard" symbol on the front door. Now, signs here don't really mean much- I know this. But regardless, I waltzed inside to see if I could actually try to use the "atm".

But when I got in, the sweet lady behind the counter told me that my salary had come a week early. I was super excited and she started the necessary paperwork to get it together but unfortunately at that time they were out of currency.

So I went to the next window and pulled out my Mastercard.

"Mastercard?" the other lady said in wonder. "Hmmm...."
She opened up a cabinet and took out a credit card machine that had never been used before.

"Angela, you're the first person to ever do this!" she said with excitement. They tried hooking up the machine and turning it on, but they couldn't get it to work. I watched for the next forty minutes as they tried different outlets, plugs and attempted to call Ashgabat for help.

"Really, it's no big deal if it doesn't work," I said.

"No we want to learn this!" they replied.

But finally they gave up. It just wasn't happening, and I thanked them for trying.

"Wait, Angela," they said, as they turned around to shuffle through their bags. And then they proceeded to do the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me here. They took out their own money and gave it to me.

"No, I can't take this!" I said.

"It's fine!" the ladies said, smiling. "We'll just replace it tomorrow when the money comes. You have no money! What will you do without money?"

They actually gave me my salary from their own pockets.

And so it goes, I met some real-life angels in a bank in Mary City. The beauty in the people here never ceases to amaze me.