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the little girl struggled with the drinking fountain
shattered husks of failed attempts confettied the ground as if a party had been happening
but she was almost done
holding a translucent plastic box nearly full already
she just needed one more
but these two bearded men approached
which unnerved her
causing the lip to slip
and water splash out in a rush
the big one was ravenously thirsty
the slim one looked her in the eye and asked if shed like help
she told him she was fine on her own
yet her body said
yes, please
he took the tiny yellow thing from her little hand
and deftly put it on the spout
started filling it
asking her how big she wanted it
slight
the big one told him his cousins called those half-filled little ones "squishes"
more fun
they don’t explode so easily…
he tied it off and handed it to her
only then seeing her open her case
strange fluid jewels there
looking heavy and lugubrious
like his friend
he smiled at her
while the big one drank
they walked on
but the slim one stopped quick
finding what looked like an intact red one on the ground
he scurried back to the fountain and filled it
just to squishy level
tied it off
and ran to catch up the big one
it was leaking from a pin-prick
which he kept his finger over
holding it up to the light as he walked
imagining biting into it and tasting its superb cool juicy redness
the big one stopped at the next fountain
where the slim one played with him by letting the fruit leak out on his sandaled foot
the big one looked up
around
touching the fountain
puzzled
back to drink
again
they made eye contact
and laughed
and walked on through the sweltering day…
.iP