I got ready and went to the real estate office before noon. The agent saw me and greeted me with a smile.
"Welcome, Ms. Summer. I have processed the whole land purchase, and I have also spoken with the government minister. Now, we just need to sign and seal the papers," he said as he brought out the file. "Please have a look, and here is the spreadsheet of the taxes and other charges included."
He handed me the file. I looked at the price— the value of the land was around 57 million Y dollars, and the rest of the fees were taxation and additional charges.
"It's all fine with me. I can transfer the money, and we can sign the deal," I said in a straightforward manner.
"Of course. Please, I will provide you with the company's account, and they will transfer this money to the government officials since it is government land," he said.
I didn't care how they processed it. I just wanted to get the stamp on these papers. I transferred the money and signed the papers alongside two witnesses, who were employees of the company. He then put the legal stamp on the documents, making my heart feel relieved.
"Thank you, Mr. Johnson. You worked quite efficiently, and if not for your diligence, I wouldn't have been able to get all these papers processed in just 24 hours. Can you provide me with your account number?"
As he handed me the documents, I thanked him before asking for his account number. I wanted to stay on good terms with anyone related to the government in this unfamiliar country, and he had made my work much easier, so it was only natural for me to pay him.
"Ms. Summer, it's alright. My commission is included in this," he said.
"I know, but I also know the real estate business in this country is not quite in demand, so I would feel good if I could help you out, even if it's just a little something."
He looked a little embarrassed, but he gave me his account number. I immediately transferred him 50,000 Y dollars. He looked shocked and thanked me again.
"Ms. Summer, if you need anything else, please do inform me. I would love to help you out," he said with a polite smile.
"No, I don't need anything for now, but I will definitely reach out if I do."
I stood up to walk out, but suddenly, something flashed in my mind.
"Mr. Johnson," I turned around and said, "I actually do need some help."
He looked at me, waiting for me to continue.
"Well, taking cabs here and there is not very efficient for me, and my work requires extreme hours. Sometimes, I might need to visit the location to supervise, and I may not always be able to get a cab. So, can you help me buy a simple car? It doesn't need to be flashy—just something I can use since I don't know much about the surroundings here. Would you help me with this?"
"Of course, I would love to help you out. What kind of car do you need? First-hand or second-hand?"
"Second-hand will do. I don't know how many days I'll be here. I just want a private vehicle I can use at my convenience," I replied.
"Alright, Ms. Summer, I know some second-hand car dealership owners. I will ask around and find a durable car for you, and I'll call you in a few hours to let you know."
"That means a lot. Thanks for helping me out," I said, showing my gratitude.
"It's alright, it's not a big deal. Since you're new here, it's best if I help you out."
By noon, I was driving a Volvo hatchback with the help of Mr. Johnson. As I was driving back to my hotel, my phone rang, and Yona's name flashed on the screen.
"Hi, Evelyn! How have you been?" she greeted me with her cheerful voice.
"Hi. I've been good. What about you?" I asked.
"Great! Brother said he talked with you, and last night, he brought this issue in front of Dad," she informed me.
"Uncle Wilson? What did he say?" I asked.
"Well, Dad believes in Brother's judgment, and he gave him full authority to make decisions on this. I think Dad also knows something is wrong. Otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed so easily," she replied.
"He is an important political figure, so it shouldn't be surprising that he has some information about the whole situation," I analyzed his behavior. "I think you're right. Well, this happens to work in our favor. But let's set this aside for now. I called to inform you that I have contacted three local farmer villages as you asked. I have arranged for them to sell all their vegetables and their harvest of rice and wheat to us," she said.
"That's good news. Put everything in the cold storage warehouse for now. We won't be able to transport these things yet, but we will stock up for these two months as much as we can. Once the construction is over, we will start transportation. And what about the other things I asked for?" I inquired.
"Well, I have contacted some local wholesalers, but the amount of supplies we want is quite large, so they have asked for a week's time to gather everything. The supplies I have ordered include:
White sugar: 500 kg
Brown sugar: 500 kg
Salt: 900 kg
All seasonal spices: 100 kg each
Herbs: Mint, Bay leaf, Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Anise, Dried thyme, Paprika, Kaffir lime, etc., 50-80 kg each
Dry lentils, chickpeas, peas, pigeon peas, red lentils, black-eyed peas, broad beans, adzuki beans, soybeans, black gram—around 1,200-1,500 kg, as you requested.
Since dry food tends to have a longer shelf life, I asked them to provide all these in bulk quantities," she explained.
"That's great to hear. After getting these, if you can get your hands on more dry food items, that would be even better. But even this amount is alright. We are quite a big group of people, so getting as many available supplies as possible is good for longer survival."