The Twenty-Second Century

I found everything to be new to me. The apple trees were laden with enormous fruits, and the orchard stretched upwards along the mountain’s height, reaching all the way to the summit. Here and there, pipes and channels had been installed to carry away the rainwater. Thick pipes distributed water everywhere. In some places, taps for drinking water could also be seen. A little off the path, a few small tin houses seemed to stand, but I did not wish to leave the road to go there. I thought, let me keep going ahead; surely, somewhere along the way, I will meet someone. After walking a full four kos, at last I heard human voices. The closer I drew, the clearer the sounds became. When I reached them, I saw that both men and women were present. Their garments were exceedingly clean; their faces radiant. I wondered to myself, could these be members of the royal family of Nepal, perhaps come here for amusement? But it did not seem so. They were picking fruits, placing them in baskets, and setting them on the ground, while some others carried those very fruits away before them. It appeared they must be piling them up somewhere. Besides, the women did not wear the twenty-yard pajamas of the royal household; though their complexion, attire, physical build, cleanliness, and manners were of a far higher order, there was certainly a difference. All of them wore pants; their hands and feet were covered with gloves and socks. They wore shoes as well. There must be some mystery in this. Well, I shall find out by meeting them. And now, I was quite close. Because they were absorbed in their work, they did not notice me. But look, over there—one of them, having seen me, said something to his companions. Are they all staring at me, eyes wide open? Am I some kind of creature? Some are looking at my leafy clothes, others at my beard. Ah, one man is coming this way; from him, I shall learn everything. Although the man approaching was coming straight towards me, my curiosity made me impatient.