“Nature. Bah!” ejaculated the famous mining billionaire.”It’s such a mushy-mushy thing. What is nature? Is it the trees? The air? The birds? The river? What is nature? Besides, who cares? I’m about business Ruth, and I do five billion dollars of that every year. Tell that to your nature. How many dollars can it put in the hands of a poor man, eh?”
At twenty, Ruth had experienced this kind of bluster from her dad for at least ten years. One could hence say that she was prepared.
“But papa, all value cannot be converted into dollars.”
“Whatever! But on its own, it is worth nothing. You need human ingenuity and enterprise to make something out of nature. Don’t be a fool Ruth and be influenced by those conservancy organizations. Heck, they are all freaking non-profits, they don’t have to ever worry about earning a dollar.”
For Samson, like most billionaires who climbed the investment banking ladder to prosperity, everything had to clearly translate to dollars. They truly believed that money, specifically the dollar, made the world go round.
“It’s all right papa. You be where you are, and I, where I’m”
“Sweet girl,” said Sam. He knew Ruth was a conscientious girl brought up with all the good virtues by her wonderful mother, but thank god, unlike her idealistic mother, she was practical.
“So I fly to Brazil today to meet some mining companies and talk with the government to see if they would finally allow mining in the Amazon forests – thus far, they have asked us to take a long walk. I also plan to travel to some regions within the Amazon where folks believe there’s lots of nickel and manganese. Useful metals Ruth, given how much batteries will need them in future.” He ruminated on the prospects for a few seconds, and then turned to the present, “All these Amazon jaunts to be completed within a couple of days. I will be back right here in five days, pet,” he patted Ruth as he left the room.
“Happy journey, dad, “ she called after him.
When Samson did not return five days later, Ruth wasn’t unduly worried. His travel plans frequently changed. But when five days extended to a week, and then to two of them, she was concerned. Not even a phone call!
Three weeks from the time he left it, Samson walked back into his palatial apartment.
Ruth came running to meet him, but stopped dead a meter in front. He, who prided himself on looking 10/10 even when he was at home, was looking haggard. Unshaven. No coat. No tie. It took a full ten seconds for Ruth to believe that his dad was wearing worn-out sandals in place of shiny shoes.
“Dad. Something happened!”
Samson looked at her lovely daughter for a long moment and said, “Yes, my girl. I got nature”
“You got what?”
“Nature”
“Nature?”
“Nature”
“Dad, sit down, relax a bit, and some hot coffee should help you start making sense”
The hot coffee indeed fulfilled its expectations, and injected some coherence into his speech.
“My dear girl, while travelling through the Amazon forest, I somehow lost my guide and business associates. I was completely alone in the forest”
“Dad!”
“Yes. It was scary. I was reminded of Anaconda and what not. But it was only a tough-looking tribal man that I encountered. He took me to his settlement and I lived among tribals”
“Dad!”
“Yes. To start with, I was shocked to see how they lived. But after two days, it was not so difficult. I mostly ate fruits and vegetables, all of them raw. I slept on barren ground. I wore whatever they gave me – which wasn’t much. I went on short trips around their settlement along with practically naked children, who kept saying something that sounded like hello to trees and wild beasts and a river that we confronted on the way. Heck, I even went on a hunting expedition with the elders…”
“Dad!”
“My, my. In fact, I felt exquisitely happy and peaceful after the first day, and relished my stay with them for two weeks. And then, the rescue party found me. I had a – can you believe it – tearful farewell. And I’m here”
“Dad!”
“Don’t keep saying Dad. Can’t you say anything more or anything else?”
“Words fail me, dad. And you’re here!”
Dad and daughter sat close to each other for the next few minutes, just savouring the pleasant reunion.
“Dad,” Ruth spoke at last, “what was the most extra-ordinary thing that you came across during those two weeks”?
Samson thought for a moment. And then said, “The fact that those guys had never heard of the dollar but still were happier than most of us”