Author: Reena Saxena

I am taken aback by the hiss of dissent
an angry spluttering follows
splattering me with icy coldness
on this mellow winter morning!

I try again
this time there is empty noise
the hissing continues
with a bit of frothing at the mouth!

I exclaim loudly in anger
muttering profanities under my breath
I should have taken the nut brown appearance yesterday
as a portent of things to come!

The tear shaped drop hanging precariously
clinging for life to the faucet
seems to smirk at my tears of frustration
adding to the unmitigated covid anxieties!

We don’t get any snow
nor was there scheduled repair work
how dare the water I take for granted
play hooky at will to throw my life out of gear!

Frantic calls hither and thither
reveal the vile, bitter truth
the rising ammonia levels had forced
the water board to halt the supply!

The dry…

Last April that awful day, when water left us high and dry

a lesson learnt the hard way, will stay with me forever.

Summer announced its arrival with the mercury soaring,

adding to the woes, the pandemic locked us indoors.

The old leaky connection pipe succumbed under pressure at night,

the next morning the taps at home went dry.

A call to the water board confirmed our worst fears,

the wait for a tanker would be an endless one.

With shutters of shops down, the repair too would be a prolonged affair

fractious moods ensued a torrent of rants and expletives,

a house full of people letting off their steam,

finally sapped of energy, the listless souls vented muffled sighs.

A kind neighbour lent us a can of water,

Rationing its use, the trailer made us realise,

we don’t want to watch the movie, “A day without water”…

Reena is the host of Reena’s Exploration Challenge

The shampoo is in my eyes when the shower coughs and spits and stops. I grab blindly for the towel; missing twice before my fingers find it.

Great, I think, and much stronger words pass through my mind on their way to my mouth. I wipe my eyes, head, and shoulders, still conjuring curses. The shower remains mute.

Thank goodness I shaved first!

I stumble to the kitchen with the towel wrapped around my waist. No water there either, except two bottles of Pellegrino.

I grab one of the bottles and wonder “could I make coffee with this?” I open the bottle and take a big drink. I love the mineral and bubbles in my throat.
I get a large cup and spoon in the best instant coffee I have. I add the Pellegrino and watch the strange foam form as I stir it. Then I open the microwave and…