21 Call Me A Gardener

Anoi slowly stretched her face in a smirk. The way you would smirk when you know that your conversation partner is a fool, yet you are still graceful enough to bless him with a wisdom from your most prudent head.

"Tell me, how do you know the current trends?"

"It's like you said," Shadd answered, "we can look at the elite."

"That is so. We can also say, that the trend follows the popular people, the famous superstars, movie actors, singers, dancers and so on, whom people love and want to imitate, isn't that so?"

"It most certainly is," he said.

"Don't you also agree that popularity of those people who dictate the trend is rather short-lived? That it's like a fruit that you have to collect the moment it ripens in order to get the most taste and flavor, and therefore use out of it?"

"I don't quite understand what you mean."

"When you have a fruit tree, won't you find it a pity to miss out the moment when the fruits ripen and not collect them?"

"You're right. I'd make sure to check on the tree daily, to see when can I come to collect the fruit."

"But in real life, can you also check when the certain group will reach its popularity peak?"

"It is possible to predict it. Then I would launch a campaign. For example, after the person finished their movie, taken that the movie is successful, the people will buy posters, t-shirts with the face of that actor."

"Tell me then, does an apple and an apricot mature at the same time, on the same day."

"I wouldn't think so."

"But, as long as you know a type of the fruit, wheather the fruit tree is an apple tree or a cherry or an apricot, you'd be able to tell an approximate time when it bears the fruits, and when those fruits will be ready to eat."

"Yes, obviously."

"But," Anoi said, "What if you had no clue about which type of the tree was in front of you? Would you still be able to tell me when the fruits will ripen if you had no idea what it was?"

"It would be hard to do so."

"Then," Anoi said, "What if you had no clue about where the potential fruit tree grew? Would you be able to seize the opportunity and collect the juicy fruits on time?"

"It would be impossible." Shadd breathed out, wondering why Anoi was even asking stuff like that.

"So, if you have no means to predict when the actor becomes famous, will you still launch a new product? In fact, will you even know what product to create?"

"No, I won't."

"And what if, you have no clue where the potential actor, who is yet to become an actor, is, will you still launch a new product?"

"I…"

"Anoi!" Jackie exclaimed, as if coming to Shadd's rescue who was getting restless, "Why are you even asking those stupid questions?? If I don't know who the future actor is, I certainly won't make any project that would concern them, simply because I don't even no who they are!"

Anoi continued leisurely drinking her tea.

"Then, wouldn't you regret it when in several months, some other gardener finds this fruit tree, recognizes it as a fruit tree, then predicts when it will bear the fruits, and then comes and collect the fruits, and sells them for a high price? Wouldn't you regret your short-sightedness?"

"So what of it?? I can't predict the future, and I can't kill the other gardener just for a couple of fruits!" Jackie was getting angry. She did not understand all this deep talk, full of parallels between actors and fruits.

"Well, what if another experienced gardener came along, and said he would help you? Wouldn't you want to join the gardener, and make sure you two are friends?"

"Yes, I would." Shadd answered firmly.

"Good." Anoi flashed a smile. "I am that other gardener."

"Are you saying that you have means to discover hidden future talents?" Shadd's eyes widened in surprise.

"Actors, singers, dancers, musicians," Anoi said, "you name them. Interested in joining?"

"Of course! But…How?" he couldn't understand such firm trust in oneself and one's skills.

"If a gardener teaches you his secret of recognizing trees, won't his talent become useless in the union?"