I realized I needed to book this computer all the time. This was it—my golden opportunity.
From that day forward, Jake started mining bitcoin on weekends. Not all weekends, though—summer holidays were coming, and I'd have to go to the village which didn't have any cyber cafés. There were fewer crowds in the mornings on weekends compared to evenings when older kids came to play games.
But the funds to go to the café were becoming a problem. As Jake was thinking about how to make instant cash, I thought of gambling—not actual gambling, but betting on cricket matches since I knew the major matches of country Xia with England and Australia, which were always a major buzz at that time.
I knew exactly when Xia would lose in semi-finals, in every tournament, because it wasn't their time until 2011 World Cup time when Xia would finally win under the brilliant and capable captainship of the greatest captain of that era.
I had already boosted my 90 rupay to 260 rupay by betting on the highest stakes I could manage, using one-third for mining and the rest for doubling by analyzing the matches.
Even for other matches, I knew the finals. In 2008-2009 football, the UEFA semi-finals would be Germany 3-2 Turkey and Spain 3-0 Russia. I made 2,000 rupay just by betting on those matches, and also on the final: Spain 1-0 Germany.
My earnings were growing big, but I needed to figure out where to keep my money. I discovered a digital bank that provided banking services just through email and mobile number, which was easy for me since my father wasn't familiar with email in those days. It was easy to create using my mother's mobile number.
By the end of mining sessions in 2008, I had mined a total of 499 bitcoin, which was great. Summer vacation was approaching—a time when I wouldn't be able to mine regularly—but I had executed a program that would allow mining in the background, working at only 5 percent efficiency. Still, it was worth it.
Till now, I was sure there was no change in the timeline. Everything and everyone seemed to be exactly the same—no one missing, no different names, no different countries. It was all identical. So logically, the future would be the same if I didn't go around changing major events.
The summer heat was intense this time. I used sunscreen while working on the farm—if this harsh sun continued without protection, my hands would be tanned beyond repair for the future.
The family farm was a different world. There were mango trees everywhere, and all my cousins were there—I had four female cousins and two male cousins. From my eldest uncle's family: three daughters and one son. From my middle uncle: one eldest son and one daughter.
These were peaceful days indeed. No one was chasing after money yet. All these cousins, going forward, would face their own difficulties, but for now, it was pure childhood bliss. My eldest uncle's twin daughters would be married at age eighteen—it was still common here to marry girls at an early age.
All the cousins and I would inherit our grandfather's genes in terms of height. I myself was destined to be 6'2" when fully grown, same for my brother Jason. We had great genetic luck in that regard, very rare in this country. But in my previous life, I'd messed it up by staying fat—it was completely wasted on me.
I helped with fertilizing sugarcane and also spent time tending to my grandfather. He loved to listen to the radio always and was still in good condition, but I knew he would pass away in 2017 due to lack of movement when his legs would give out. His whole life had been farming—his weathered skin was proof of his hard work. He would get up early at 4 AM, walk to the closest village temple, and return by 6 AM, often bringing milk and cookies for us grandchildren.
He was the best person out there, but he had one flaw—he used to drink, which would also be a factor in his early passing.
"Grandfather, tell us a story about the old days," I said one evening as we sat under the mango trees.
His eyes twinkled. "Ah, Jake, in my time, we didn't have all these fancy machines. Everything was done by hand, with oxen and simple tools. But people were more content, I think. Less running around, more time for family."
"Do you miss those days?" I asked.
"Sometimes. Life was harder but simpler. Now everyone wants more, more, more. But happiness? That comes from inside, beta."
During the afternoons when others napped, I would sneak to the village market where there was a single computer with internet at the post office. The postmaster, Sharma uncle, was kind enough to let me use it occasionally.
"What are you always checking, beta?" he asked one day.
"Just learning about computers, uncle. They say it's the future."
My background mining program was still running at the cyber café back in the city. Even at 5 percent efficiency, it continued accumulating bitcoin. The physical work on the farm was already showing results—I could feel myself getting stronger and losing weight.
"Jake's looking different," my cousin Priya noticed during dinner one night.
"All that running around the fields," laughed my cousin brother Rohan. "City boy trying to become a farmer!"
Soon the summer vacation was over. My bitcoin mining total had reached 515, but I wouldn't let it get to my head. Until it was liquidated, I needed to keep it low-key.
As we prepared to return to the city, grandfather pulled me aside.
"Take care of your studies, Jake. But remember—money is a tool, not a goal. I've seen rich men die miserable and poor men live like kings. The difference is in how they treat people and how they use what they have."
The train journey back to the city gave me time to reflect. Everything was progressing exactly as I remembered, which meant my knowledge of future events remained accurate. My bitcoin stash was growing, my physical fitness was improving, and most importantly, I was building better relationships with my family.
The familiar skyline of our city appeared through the train window, and I felt ready for whatever came next. The future was still mine to shape, one careful decision at a time.