Agua

 

            Bob looked up at the sky.  It hadn’t rained in weeks.  His lawn, once lush, beautiful, and green was now brown, dry, and bald in some places.  His lawn was his pride and joy.  He wished it would rain.  No relief was in sight.

            Alice looked up at the sky.  It hadn’t rained in weeks.  Not a single cloud was in sight.  Her pond was completely dry.  She looked at her garden, or what was left of it.  Her petunias were wilted.  Her gladiolas bent over until their heads touched the ground.  Her gladiolas has won first prize at the state fair last year.  The hard work she had spent tending them this year had gone to waste.  They were pitiful to look at.  She sat on the ground and wept.

            Peter looked up at the sky.  It hadn’t rained in weeks.  His chickens were dropping dead like flies.  He’d already disposed of three this week.   Chickens were his livelihood, and he had the reputation of having the best chickens in town.  Lately, people had been eating beef.  It took longer for cows to dry out than chickens.  If he didn’t get water soon, his chickens would be ex-chickens, his income would fly out the window, he would not be able to pay his mortgage, and he would lose the farm handed down for 5 generations.

            Marcy looked up at the sky.  It hadn’t rained in weeks.  She was homeless.  She had no pond.  She had no well.  She had no water.  She had no money.  She had no milk.  She had a baby.  He wailed with thirst from his cracked parched lips.  Every day his cries grew weaker, as she attempted to sustain him with the pulp of rotten fruit she scavenged out of the dumpster.

            Sally looked out at the town.  It hadn’t rained in weeks.  People were suffering.  Sally had water.  She had put a cover over her well to protect it from evaporating.  She had no lush lawn or garden to water.  She had no animals to care for.  She had no children to nourish.  All she had was herself, and she didn’t need that much water.  Sally decided to share.

            She made a sign that said “Free Water Here” and placed it outside her house.  Soon, the townspeople came flooding in.  Sally drew water for them all.  Bob took water for his lawn, and Alice took some to try to revive her garden.  Peter managed to keep his remaining chickens alive, and Sally’s water saved Marcy’s baby from dying of dehydration.  Other people came as well, all seeking relief and refreshment.

            Seeing the joy her water brought others made Sally happy.  She enjoyed helping other people, and she dutifully tended her well, drawing water for all who came.

            Sally overexerted herself drawing water.  She died of a heat stroke.  Her face was frozen in a permanent smile.

            The next day it rained.

            The townspeople buried her next to the well.  Her tombstone read, “Thanks for the water.”