I'm making a test run in my dune buggy one blistering summer day and I spot what appears to be a woman staggering across the sand. She's obviously near the end of her strength, has many miles to go and she's headed in the wrong direction. I stop and give her some of the water I always carry with me in the dunes. I also give her a lift back toward what might laughingly be called civilization.
As we ride back and the lady can finally concentrate on something other than the water jug, she says something in some foreign language.
I don't understand what the lady is trying to tell me. I just shrug and shake my head to try to tell the lady I don't understand what she's saying.
The lady laughs and then gives me what appears to be a diamond from out of a bag she carries. It has to be a couple of carats and sparkles like a diamond should. But then again, who knows?
The lady then looks all about and seems to kind of sink into her seat, perhaps afraid that I'm maybe taking her to civilization. She seemingly doesn't want any part of civilization, which strikes me as very strange. On the other hand, business being the way it is, the diamond, if real, could pay some of my bills, hell, maybe all of my bills with quite a bit left over.
When I get the lady back to my place she pulls from her bag and sets up, over about an hour, a machine that speaks to me. The machine says, in heavily accented English that the lady's name is Glera, she is a traveler, she needs shelter and food, she can pay. Finally she wants to know if I can understand the machine.
I then carefully repeat back to Glera what the machine said to me, only in plain old American.
Glera makes some adjustments to the machine and then again lets it speak to me. It's better, more understandable, after the adjustment.
We go through a couple of iterations with the translator machine.
We get hungry. Hell, I fix supper.
Glera tries the food, very warily. Apparently she can eat the food and she eats my cooking.
While we eat, we talk, via the machine, for a bit.
I then tell Glera, via the machine, that I'll leave to run an errand and then come back. I leave, without Glera showing too much panic.
One thing that Glera asks before I leave is, "Please don't tell anyone that I'm with you. I'm in danger."
I reassure Glera, "I won't mention to anyone that you're here."
There's a guy not too far from me who has a gem shop. He takes a look at the diamond and it's for real! The diamond is a flawless stone of 1.82 carats weight and it's worth a ton.
I tell the guy, "I got the diamond in a trade for some dune buggy stuff. I need to sell the diamond, to buy some more stock in trade. However, I know nothing about selling a diamond."
The gem guy tells me, "I can sell the diamond for you. I have contacts who will be interested in a stone of this size and quality. There will be a commission involved."
I leave the diamond with the gem guy who'll sell it for a commission. Even with the commission, I'm gonna be a little rich.
I go back home and try to explain the situation to Glera.
Glera seems to understand that there will be money later. In the meantime, Glera wants to make damn sure that she's welcome. That night she sleeps with me. It's an incredible experience.
