Eden

Thirty-Three

I look around. I'm still thirsty more than hungry, which may be why I notice this especially, but behind the line of stalls, and beyond them, I can see one of the water-sellers standing by the edge of the bridge. I look, trying to see what she's doing, and realize she's lowering a bucket into the river, and then pulling water up.

That gives me another idea, what seems like quite a good idea. One I hope might actually be useful.

"Come on," I say to Lexi, and go over to the water-seller.

She's an older woman, with thick dark make-up around her eyes, and the same kind of shift-dress as mine. She has a backpack kind of arrangement to carry the water she sells sitting on the ground beside her, I see. So a wooden frame, with a small wooden barrel inside it, and she seems to be lowering a bucket on a thin rope over the side of the bridge, and scooping up bucketfuls of water which she then pours into the barrel, refilling it.

"Excuse me," I say.

The water-seller glances at me, but keeps pulling on her rope.

"Can I help you with that?" I say.

"I don't need help," she says.

"Oh," I say. I hadn't though of that. I stand there for a moment, disappointed, then decide it won't hurt to ask all the same. "Um, could I help you anyway?" I say. "And then use the bucket to get a drink for myself?"

The water-seller looks at me, and thinks for a moment, and then holds out the rope towards me. She holds it out, so I can reach, but says, "Careful," as I go to take it.

Careful, so we don't both let go at the same time and drop the rope back into the river, I assume. So we don't lose both our end of the rope, and the bucket too. Or so I suppose.

I nod, and take the rope, and it's only when I have both hands on it that she lets go with hers. I think, and then stand on the trailing end of the rope with my foot, just in case my hands slip, and she nods, and seems to approve.