Nobi Patel was visibly discouraged as he searched shop after shop looking for a comfortable pair of shoes to wear while bicycle powering up his village’s internet section. After almost a week of no internet connections, angry neighbors were hurling insults as he passed, hoping to antagonize the simple man as his internet power generator, sat idle near the outhouse.
“What is a simple man to do?” he asked as he tried another store that possibly had a pair of sandals to fit his feet. “The recent flooding has wiped out any shoe inventory and I cannot pedal without them.”
Nobi is what’s called the Village Gatekeeper, in which his duties for the government is to administer the local internet that keeps Pakistani minds busy finding other ways to annoy other Pakistanis in other small villages.
From seedy porn sites to fashion sites hawking cheap, designer knockoffs, Nobi’s days are filled with excitement as he pedals furiously to give his friends and family internet access.
At times, Nobi gets bored and invents news stories for his site, the ever popular, Pakistan Online. Last week his story about the Pakistani government safely landing an elephant on the moon caused an all-night celebration in his village. The next week’s news story was just as popular. Nobi reported that a local villager was the winner on American Idol! Of course, his recent news story about Pakistan purchasing the entire country of India was the most popular story he has ever done, and fireworks filled the sky until dawn.
Yes, Nobi is a simple man in search of a pair of shoes!
Great story. One has to wonder though if Pakistan might be better off without the internet. I know America would be. Damn you Gore!