Moroccan short stories

Walking Without Water

Saida was never slugabed. Every day she would go for long walks, and she was never tired. If you saw her from far, you would recognize her very easily. She was a slim woman and a fast walker.

One Sunday morning, while she was walking and reading stories on her cell phone, she was very thirsty. Her tongue had no saliva, and her throat was very dry. Worst yet, she had no bottle of water on her to ease the thirst. Moreover, where she was, no water tap was to be found from which she could drink. Saida was fatigued, and her face turned pale and dry. She was literally swallowing up air.

Suddenly, she spotted a grocery store owner opening his business door in the early morning, but he was a little bit far from her. Saida barely made it to his location, making several stops along the way. Once she was there, she intended to buy a bottle of water from the grocery store but had no money on her. She looked into the owner’s eyes, whose face was not washed yet and whose eyes were half open, and then she leaned her body forward and asked him politely if he could give her a glass of water.

In a great surprise, the man looked back at her and said nothing for a while. It was a silent moment during which he stared at her expensive running shoes she was wearing and her newest smart phone she was holding between her hands, and then he said, “I am sorry, I am afraid not to have free drinking water.” After that, he didn’t add any other words.

Saida knew that the man had no water tap inside his grocery store but the bottles of water for sale. Saida couldn’t resist anymore. She must drink something and better be soon. She was even more fatigued than before and very weak. She then informed him about what had happened to her, hoping he may be a man of great values and care about her situation. Though the man made a fuss and was whispering to himself, “This is morning time! Starting a business day by giving free stuff, no good,” he handed a small bottle of water type Bahia to her.

Saida drank it all in one go, like the dog that was chasing the rabbits in the Mohammedia forest and wanting to drink badly. When the little bottle of water was completely empty, she took a deep breath and then, again, thanked the man and promised him to come back and pay him, which she did later in the same day. Since then, Saida has always carried with her a bottle of water and some money when she goes on long walks.