Eden

Thirty-One

Lexi looks around, like I am. I sort of point towards the nearest of the food stalls, where people are paying for things with small metal coins, and then to one of the water-sellers, too, where more coins are changing hands. Lexi looks, then nods, and looks disappointed. We can see clearly from where we're standing, and it's obvious that people are exchanging coins.

Very small coins, by the way, much smaller than I'm used to. The largest are like five cent pieces, and the ones they use to pay for cups of water are tiny. Some people aren't paying, though, and are talking to the stallholders instead. I'm not sure why, or what the difference is, and I can't quite hear from where I am. Perhaps some people have accounts, I think, and are purchasing food on credit, or perhaps they're doing trades with each other for things they both need.

I think about this, wondering what to do. I'm not sure how to get a drink, or food, or money, but I have to try. If I can.

"What do we do?" Lexi says.

"I don't know," I say.

Lexi looks at a food stall. There is bread just laid out on a cloth, right next to the public walkway.

"Hey," she says. "Um. We could just try taking it..."

I grab her arm and say, "No," quietly. I really don't think stealing things is a smart idea, in a place like this.

"Why not?" Lexi says, shaking her arm free.

"Just don't," I say. I really don't want to find out what they do to thieves here. Or to the apparent friends of thieves, who were innocently standing next to the thieves at the time they did their thieving.

"I'm hungry," Lexi says. "I'm thirsty too." She's looking at one of the water-sellers now.

"I know," I say. "But just wait a second. Please? We aren't going to die of thirst just standing here."

"We might," Lexi says.

"No," I say. "We can't, I don't think."

Lexi looks at me, thinking. "How do you know that?" she says.

"Well, I didn't die of killing myself," I say. "Not permanently. So why would we appear here and then just die again. That's stupid."

"Oh," Lexi says, considering that.

"Thirsty is just uncomfortable," I say, hoping I'm right. "We won't die. We'll be fine. So please just wait?"

Lexi nods slowly.