Water is a very important element. Nothing can survive without water. A Legendary Nigerian singer; Fela Anikulapo Kuti said it that “Water no get enemy.” It means that that water has no enemy. And think about it; what can you do without water? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!
Even the Native Americans of the Lakota people has said it that “Mni Wiconi” meaning water is life. The Chinese people also has something to say about water.
When I finished high school, I visited a relative of mine in Asaba to spend the holidays with him. What happened one day in the compound has been indelible in my mind—hence I decided to share with you. It keeps me laughing every time I remember the story. Enjoy!
One morning, a man in the compound woke up with a merry heart and as usual chimed out for his cup of tea. His wife sang out equally cheerfully that sorry this morning there was to be no tea because there was no water.
“What?!” shouted the husband.
“There is no water anywhere in the compound.” Answered the wife
“Not in the whole town. According to the radio the pipes have burst.” The wife explained.
The husband was determined to do something about the situation. He phoned the water department and after a lot of humming and hawing, he was told that the supply would be reconnected in an hour’s time…but there would be no sufficient pressure to take the water up to the second floor.
It was five minutes to ten. There was a tap in the yard. So he told his wife to bring out all the jerry cans and buckets they have. The wife stood still staring at me with a hard look. “What jerry cans are you talking about? As for the buckets; the only bucket we have has a hole in the bottom because you insist on playing the drums on it.”
The husband dashed off to the hardware store to buy three large jerry cans rushed home. It was already 10:30. He made a beeline for the yard tap which had been left on and was now trickling precious water away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw third floor bearing down like a berserk buffalo; eyes fixed on the tap and water containers banging about his knees. The man was on a collision but there was nothing he could do. He closed like a couple tankers and both them went down in a tangle of arms and legs. Their utensils were going everywhere.
By the time the man had disentangled himself, sorted out his containers and tossed for his first go at the tap. The stream of water had died down to a trickle. When he reached the tap, it gave an apologetic gurgle and a mocking hiss. Before he could leap at each other’s throats a good Samaritan looked into the yard and told him that water could be gotten from a nearby well. The only trouble with this news as with all news was that by the time it reached him; it had already reached half of the town.
The area round the well was packed with sweating, cursing humanity armed with a startling variety of containers and utensils. The focus of everybody’s attention was the solitary tap connected to the well and the scowling, barrel-chested individual which had control over the hosepipe that was fitted to it. He was directing his hosepipe to a gross or so of containers that his helpers kept bringing up to be filled.
We were all waiting for him to finish filling his containers before making an assault on the hosepipes. The chance came sooner than I expected. One of his helpers had been filing his jerry can without undoing the top and the scowling man, noticing this let go the hosepipe to unscrew the top personally. He dived for the pipe. So did about three score of other human beings. Somehow he survived and what is more, came out of the mêlée still clutching the hosepipe. He stuffed the end into the first open aperture. This happened to be my neighbour’s open mouth, but fortunately. He realized his mistake before he had properly drowned him.
Eventually, after a fierce struggle and a rich harvest of bruises, he extricated himself from the mass with a jerry can full of water and directly proceeded home with it. He laid the full can proudly before his wife and still panting from the exertion waiting for her praise.
“Only one little can”! It is not enough to fill the basin and wash the children’s clothes with,” were the words that poured out from his wife’s mouth.
“Oh it is.” He answered with furiously.
“It is enough to fill three basins, four basins if you like….” The man boasted. In a bid to demonstrate to his wife; he tipped the water into the wash basin.
“Stop!” screamed his wife. The plug is not in. all the water is going down the drain!
It was too late. Three-quarters of the water was gone. He hit himself on the head with the can and the rest of the water gushed out and drenched him.
“You are wasting all the water.” Said his wife. He hit the wife on the head severally with the jerry can and then they kissed and made up.
From that day the water stopped flowing, they never take anything for granted.
When I finished high school, I visited a relative of mine in Asaba to spend the holidays with him. What happened one day in the compound has been indelible in my mind—hence I decided to share with you. It keeps me laughing every time I remember the story. Enjoy!
One morning, a man in the compound woke up with a merry heart and as usual chimed out for his cup of tea. His wife sang out equally cheerfully that sorry this morning there was to be no tea because there was no water.
“What?!” shouted the husband.
“There is no water anywhere in the compound.” Answered the wife
“Not in the whole town. According to the radio the pipes have burst.” The wife explained.
The husband was determined to do something about the situation. He phoned the water department and after a lot of humming and hawing, he was told that the supply would be reconnected in an hour’s time…but there would be no sufficient pressure to take the water up to the second floor.
It was five minutes to ten. There was a tap in the yard. So he told his wife to bring out all the jerry cans and buckets they have. The wife stood still staring at me with a hard look. “What jerry cans are you talking about? As for the buckets; the only bucket we have has a hole in the bottom because you insist on playing the drums on it.”
The husband dashed off to the hardware store to buy three large jerry cans rushed home. It was already 10:30. He made a beeline for the yard tap which had been left on and was now trickling precious water away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw third floor bearing down like a berserk buffalo; eyes fixed on the tap and water containers banging about his knees. The man was on a collision but there was nothing he could do. He closed like a couple tankers and both them went down in a tangle of arms and legs. Their utensils were going everywhere.
By the time the man had disentangled himself, sorted out his containers and tossed for his first go at the tap. The stream of water had died down to a trickle. When he reached the tap, it gave an apologetic gurgle and a mocking hiss. Before he could leap at each other’s throats a good Samaritan looked into the yard and told him that water could be gotten from a nearby well. The only trouble with this news as with all news was that by the time it reached him; it had already reached half of the town.
The area round the well was packed with sweating, cursing humanity armed with a startling variety of containers and utensils. The focus of everybody’s attention was the solitary tap connected to the well and the scowling, barrel-chested individual which had control over the hosepipe that was fitted to it. He was directing his hosepipe to a gross or so of containers that his helpers kept bringing up to be filled.
We were all waiting for him to finish filling his containers before making an assault on the hosepipes. The chance came sooner than I expected. One of his helpers had been filing his jerry can without undoing the top and the scowling man, noticing this let go the hosepipe to unscrew the top personally. He dived for the pipe. So did about three score of other human beings. Somehow he survived and what is more, came out of the mêlée still clutching the hosepipe. He stuffed the end into the first open aperture. This happened to be my neighbour’s open mouth, but fortunately. He realized his mistake before he had properly drowned him.
Eventually, after a fierce struggle and a rich harvest of bruises, he extricated himself from the mass with a jerry can full of water and directly proceeded home with it. He laid the full can proudly before his wife and still panting from the exertion waiting for her praise.
“Only one little can”! It is not enough to fill the basin and wash the children’s clothes with,” were the words that poured out from his wife’s mouth.
“Oh it is.” He answered with furiously.
“It is enough to fill three basins, four basins if you like….” The man boasted. In a bid to demonstrate to his wife; he tipped the water into the wash basin.
“Stop!” screamed his wife. The plug is not in. all the water is going down the drain!
It was too late. Three-quarters of the water was gone. He hit himself on the head with the can and the rest of the water gushed out and drenched him.
“You are wasting all the water.” Said his wife. He hit the wife on the head severally with the jerry can and then they kissed and made up.
From that day the water stopped flowing, they never take anything for granted.
Kingsley Osajie 