Meat was available sometimes, but never for the destitute. Yet, when my first child was born, I went to a restaurant, I found the strength in me to defeat the feeling of resistance: ?How on earth, can I do something like this?? and I went to a restaurant and I simply paid money, more of course for one piece of steak, no more than one, and I found a sort of subscription. For three or four days, I had given steaks to my wife.

Before Ceausescu?s fall, what bones did I get and what good gammon did the lady who worked at the liquor store get! We had a neighbor who gave some beer to the man at the butcher?s, and she got some wonderful gammon. My wife complained and our neighbor did something and we obtained some good meat too.

Saturday morning, in a store, the manager was waiting together with some other important persons in the neighborhood, for the meat van to show up. Among these, there were a few who had especially been invited by the manager, because they decided how much meat to be delivered at each shop, because there was a certain quantity available for every district. This was before the meat was only allowed in ratio. Suddenly a general came in. The general, like all generals, was all dressed up in his uniform, with the trouser braid, ironed and stiff saying hello to the present company, and he, Nelu, the butcher, kissed the general. They exchanged greetings and words like two friends and relatives. After that, he apologized, and took the general aside, and, of course, the general left with his bag full of meat and also an envelope with some money. Why was this?

That kissing must have been intended for those that were in the shop, because, among them, there were a few, who dictated whether Nelu got his meat, what exactly and how much of every product. There were all sorts of tricks in this field. (114)

If you had connections among the important party members, you could manage everywhere. I knew a person working at the butcher?s, I gave her some extra money, and I had never had any problem with meat, our freezer was always full. People queued since 2 a.m., while I minded my business, (took the child to school, prepared some food) and then my acquaintance gave me a phone call when she could, we agreed on a certain hour to go and to take my merchandise. We did not lack either fish and meat or fruit, for the child and us. Still the people in the queue criticized me: look at this one who does not queue, she comes and takes meat in front of us, and poor us, we eat only chicken heads and claws, and pork feet. There was neither sugar, nor edible oil or wheat flour, or corn flour, the bread was on ratio, one was entitled to three loaves of bread and if one needed more, one had to queue again. For edible oil, one came with the demijohn, to buy more.  A packet of pork was 27 lei, and the one with some bones was 23 lei, the chicken was about 16 lei, but anyway the point was that when the van with meat arrived, it was awful; people were trampling each other under feet, pushed the children in front of them, gypsies made their own law, lists were written?(M.C., 105)