Post from Tim:
The shady man approached me under the shadow of the former Communist Party headquarters building, where I sat by myself reading on a park bench. The little alarm bells that rang in my head when he made a b-line towards me clanged loudly when I noticed the Vegas-sized wad of US $20 bills in his hand.
He wanted to change his $20's in for US $100's, a denomination that hasn't ever seen my wallet. I was surprised he even asked me, as I do my best to prevent theft by looking disheveled. Nevertheless, I waved him off claiming I had no US currency. He switched tactics using local currency and kept badgering me until I showed him my nearly empty wallet. He spied a 20 and a 10 Leva note and tried his scam on a smaller scale. At about $12 it wasn't that much to loose. And besides, I was intrigued.
So I placed my two notes within my easy reach, far from him. He counted an assortment of five and one denomination notes and handed it over, asking me to count the pile. They added up and looked authentic so I started to think he had asked for an honest favor. But when I was done counting he asked me for the pile to confirm.
His slight of hand marveled the skill of any professional magician I'd ever seen. He counted with his hands in plain view, out in the open, and without any sleeves to hide cash in. When he returned the wad, abracadabra! I recounted and half the money had disappeared.
I slapped my hand down on my cash and threw his back at him. The shady man skulked away under the cackling laugher of an old man, who had witnessed the entire transaction from a nearby bench.
He wanted to change his $20's in for US $100's, a denomination that hasn't ever seen my wallet. I was surprised he even asked me, as I do my best to prevent theft by looking disheveled. Nevertheless, I waved him off claiming I had no US currency. He switched tactics using local currency and kept badgering me until I showed him my nearly empty wallet. He spied a 20 and a 10 Leva note and tried his scam on a smaller scale. At about $12 it wasn't that much to loose. And besides, I was intrigued.
So I placed my two notes within my easy reach, far from him. He counted an assortment of five and one denomination notes and handed it over, asking me to count the pile. They added up and looked authentic so I started to think he had asked for an honest favor. But when I was done counting he asked me for the pile to confirm.
His slight of hand marveled the skill of any professional magician I'd ever seen. He counted with his hands in plain view, out in the open, and without any sleeves to hide cash in. When he returned the wad, abracadabra! I recounted and half the money had disappeared.
I slapped my hand down on my cash and threw his back at him. The shady man skulked away under the cackling laugher of an old man, who had witnessed the entire transaction from a nearby bench.