No hay agua

We never realize the importance of such simple but important substances in our lives. Substances such as water. You know the saying that you never miss de water till de well runs dry, well our well drying out and we missing de water in a bad way. Let me explain. Here in Arepaland, the edificios (buildings) collect their water in storage tanks as it comes from the main line. When the main line is shut off for whatever reason, the storage tank is to have enough water to service the building for a period of time, probably about 2 days. Usually in the dry season which is coming upon us by next month, the city usually rations the water, and you know on which days and what times you'll have water. So residents are prepared with smaller water tanks in their Apts or just huge barrels/tubs to collect water.

For us, we have two huge literally garbage pails, used soley for water collection and a smaller one. We pretty much keep water in the smaller one year round as you never know at times when you'll turn the taps and get nothing. Well last week, we got a sign in the elevator that they will be doing some maintenance to the main tank to the building and we'll be out of water this weekend. sin agua viernes, sin agua sabado ( no water Friday to Saturday). So we did all the laundry, clean the house, all the water necessary chores. We filled one of our pails, (incidentially, we had just empitied the smaller pail to clean it and refill it, but didn't) took our showers on Thursday night and thought we were set. two days without water, not our choice of spending the weekend, but we can live, we have enough water in the one big pail to get a quick fresh and flush the one toilet we'll use. or so we thought.

By yesterday we took our bird baths and do our toilet business and flushed. We realized that by the end of the day, the water tank is down to about half. huummm... for some reason as we rode the elevator down and read the notice again, it say que no habrá agua en todos los días de viernes hasta domingo (no water atall Friday to Sunday) it also goes on to read that depending on how the work progress we might get water back on Sunday night or maybe Monday morning. What?? yuh serious, we ein getting water till maybe Mundee morning and is two hard back people in de house dat need tuh bade and do toilet things and we onlee got half tub ah water...maybe bout 10 gallons if summuch??? wha dem can't be serious...dem fuh real, nuh water fuh three whole days...chuuppsseee..

So de hubby and I scrambling now, we gotta figure out how tuh conserve wha lil water we got, plus maintain we personal hygeine and de sanitary conditions in de house. things tight yuh. Well we gine gotta work out something. We went out to eat last night as usual, but when we finished eating and I went to the restroom, I capitalized on the opportunity to washed the makeup off my face and other things and was on my way home. Boy talk about taking advantage of a public restroom... .huuummm. Went out to breakfast this morning and put the restroom to use again. Used as little water possible today except for our bird baths and even then the water was less than yesterday. Yes, ,we know that we could go to our friend across the way and shower, but cha..de hubby and I come from de grinds, we how how to manage.

Last look into the pail, we still have enough for two bird baths tomorrow and a flush. Boy but we never really realize how important the use of water is in your life and how much of it we use and probably waste. But this is bringing back a lot of the good old days of growing up when you didn't have running water in your house. Oh many of you don't know what I'm talking about?, yuh don't wha it is to catch water, and walk with it on top yuh head tuh yuh house or take a bath in a small basin or bucket in de back yard....shucks..that's a whole other post altogether. The perils and joys of growing up poor in the Caribbean.....