A Strange Experience in a Remote Village

Going up a mountain track, I thought deeply. Everyone in the city had already the latest computers. That was why I could not sell computers which my company made. I guessed I should change my sales area. I had an idea: I should go to a village, not the city. That was because villagers would not have any computers and would be surprised when they understood that computers would be useful for their life. Then, if I could sell one to a person in the village, I could sell them all to the villagers since their connection was very strong. In addition, the far-flung village was desirable because they hardly got the latest information. And that’s why I started that arduous and strange journey.

I could not reach the village by car because the road to the village was blocked. I had to go there on foot. I had to drag my baggage because I broke it on the way there. I had already been walking for half a day, but I did not decide to return. I was glad since I was certain that my business would succeed. That was because the village was as far as I hoped.

I came out of the long tunnel of the mountain into a vast field. I noticed that this was the place I wanted to go to. I forgot my exhaustion and started to walk to the center of the village to meet my potential customers.

I immediately found a man who was harvesting potatoes on the farm. I tried to talk to him loudly since he was far away. “Hello.” He did not reply. He kept working earnestly without stopping. I thought he could not hear since it was so far, I shouted again. However, he had no response as if he was ignoring me. When I tried to yell at him again, I heard a voice behind me.
“What are you doing here?” When I turned around, I saw an old man. I guessed he was around 70 years old since he had silver hair and wrinkles. He looked at me, frowning.
“Hello, nice to meet you,” I said with a smile but his eyebrows drawn together still. I went on. “I am lost. I am very thirsty because I walked for a long time under the flaming sun. Could you please give me some water?”
He stared at me for a while and then said, “Follow me.” He started to walk without hearing my answer. I hurriedly dragged my baggage and followed him.

As I was following him for a while, I saw a few houses. The architecture was an old type. It seemed like a heritage. The walls and gardens were dirty. I could presume from these facts that nobody came to the village recently. I was certain that I could sell our products to them.

After a few minutes, we arrived at the old man’s house. The interior of the house was totally different from the exterior. There was a big TV, which was over 50 inches, and the speakers were made by Bose. There were many latest home appliances. Also, the sofa and the table seemed expensive and luxurious as if it was a model house.

I was shown to the living room. I sat on the sofa and waited for him because he talked with someone in the kitchen. I prepared a deal while waiting.
“Please wait a minute, my wife is preparing a cup of tea. She would like to serve the tea for you” he said as he came back.
“Thank you,” I replied and started to make small talk as usual. And then, I tried to change the topic. “Actually,” I said and put the box on the table. Before I could finish my sentence, something rang.
“Excuse me. Maybe, someone is calling me.”
He left the room, and I waited for him again. After a while, I heard his conversation from the next room. I did not understand what he talked about because he spoke in Chinese.
His wife came into the room with the tea. I asked her. “Can he speak Chinese?”
“Yes,” she giggled. ”Everyone is surprised that he speaks Spanish, Mandarin, and Korean as well. I don’t know exactly how many languages he can speak.”
“Who does he talk with?”
“Probably his business partner. He is working around the world by using the internet.”
I could not say anything. He came back and sat in front of me. “So, you were saying?” He asked.
When I was about to answer, a man entered the room. “Master,“ he said. “I finished harvesting potatoes.” He awkwardly said. I realized he was the man who was working in the field before.
“Well done. Please do next to your task.”
“Got it.” The man then left the room.
“Who is he?” I asked the old man.
“He always helps us with harvesting crops. He is a robot.”
“Robot?” I was surprised by that.
“He can do anything. So, I don’t have to work so far,” he said. “Anyway, I have many potatoes. You should bring some as a souvenir.”
Then, a drone came buzzing. “YOU GOT A PACKAGE. YOU GOT A PACKAGE.” the robotic voice announced. It brought a small package. It was hovering in front of his wife.
He asked it while she received the package. “Who is it from?”
“FROM MR. GATES, FROM MR. GATES,” the drone answered.
“Again? Did he send me something again? What the hell!” He muttered.
She opened the package. “Wow, it’s a computer and it’s the latest version.”
“Huh, I already have it. What is he thinking?”
It was a computer I have never seen before.
“Hey, you said a neighborhood gentleman’s laptop was broken, didn’t you?” The old man said to his wife.
“Yes, I did” she answered.
“You should give it to him” He gave the package to her. She left the room with it. He sat in front of me again. And then, he noticed the box on the table and asked me as if he forgot I was there.
“Anyway, what is this box?”
I sat there, speechless.

After a while, on the mountain track, I dragged my huge broken suitcase while I carried a bag filled with many potatoes, and I went back the long way I came.