The American's cow

My parents are farmers. We have a farm just behind the house. We are planting mandarin orange now.

To work the land, we need help. So we loan a cow from a neighbor with condition to agree upon – we get 70% of the profit, and the owner of the cow gets 30%. It’s just how this community works. By helping each other, all of us benefit from it.

Anyway, my parents can’t afford to buy a full size cow. It is at least 2.5 million Rupiah for a calf.

Last year, I had an American customer. He asked me about my family and I told him how we are like.

And then he told me he wants to visit my parents. I don’t see why not, so I said ok.

My parents never stop me from bringing my customers home. All I need to do is to just inform them we have guests coming over.

He came and looked around and spotted the cow. When he learned that the cow is not ours, he found it amusing. So I told him the problem.

“I have a deal with you.” He said, “I’ll loan you some money to buy a cow. No interest. You pay me back when I come back next year.”

The bottom line is he wants us to enjoy 100% of the profit.

I took his offer, that’s why we have 2 cows.

The big dark brown one belongs to my neighbor, and the small yellow one belongs to the American.

This fellow is one of the 4 reserves for special occasion.