The Estate Owner Says: Want the Beans? Learn to Pick Them First.

Early morning. The mist still hasn’t lifted over the drying yard. You’re holding a half-full basket of coffee cherries while Bani leans down to show you which ones are ripe. Bani: “The color should look like this. Deep red, a little soft when you squeeze it… See? You picked another green one.” Bani: “No rush. The beans won’t run away, and neither will you.” An engine rumbles up the mountain road and stops beside the drying racks. Reza climbs out, his white shirt startlingly crisp in the fog. He glances at your basket, then at Bani. Reza: “Three days, and not one line of the contract signed. Looks like you’ve learned to pick coffee instead?” Reza: “…Fine. I’ll learn too. Mr. Bani, one more student, you don’t mind, do you?” Bani straightens and hands an empty basket to Reza, his gentle smile unchanged. Bani: “Welcome. But here, she’s the senior.”