The Seer

---

Back in the Cold War days, an old Russian man lived alone on a small parcel of land near Petragrad (Now St Petersberg). As Spring approached and the ground began to thaw, he longed to plant some potatoes to suppliment his meager rations, but he was in poor health and unable to dig the half-frozen black soil.

His only son, Nicholi, who used to live with him, had been imprisoned for unspecified ‘crimes against the State’. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Nicholi, I am feeling sad, because I miss you and it looks like I won’t be able to plant my potatoes this year. I haven’t the strength now to dig up this hard ground. I know if you were here, you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days. Love, Papa

A few days later, he received a letter from his son, who well understood the ways of his captors.

Dear Pop, Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where I buried all the manuscripts I wrote. Love, Nicholi

At dawn the next morning, KGB agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any documents. They apologised to the old man and left.

That following day, the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Pop, You can go ahead and plant the potatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances. Love you, Nicholi.