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But Not a Drop to Drink

An Hour North of Houston

By L. E. KingPublished 7 years ago 1 min read
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at the grocery store

patience is a virtue

15 items or less

I just needed water

One family

Three baskets full

refugees or volunteers?

let them go ahead

register Six opens

jump to a new line

One person ahead of me

I just need water

there is a stall ahead

One person

Three items

One new employee

a flash of red

just needed water

ankle throbbing

have to pay rent

patience is a virtue

family of Three

baskets full

probably from Houston

don't want them to see

my abandonment

of their line

as a silent protest

the manager arrives

ankle still throbbing

played with cat

rescued from flood waters

my turn

new guy scans my One water

Six times

30 dollars for Six waters

I watch the family of baskets

walk out the door

the manager returns

If I had stayed in their line-

Patience is a virtue

parents from Corpus

stuck in hotel room

for Six days

Patience is a virtue

paycheck didn't arrive

the sweet woman with a kind hug

was making sure her grandchildren were safe

I take my water

Ankle throbbing

dodge cars on the way to mine

parking lot overpacked

families everywhere

patience is a virtue

I'm almost hit as I leave

I just needed wat-

funny...there's so much everywhere...

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About the Creator

L. E. King

I am a writer, actress and artist. I am the exhausted and overused kettle that is screeching on a stove top because I've hit boiling. I am almost 30 and living out my 10th existential crisis. I think I'm funny, and that's all that matters.

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