A Day Without Water
At 6:30 a.m., I woke with a start to find my taps dry and the pipes silent, more disconcerting than any alarm clock. The municipal water supply had been cut overnight, and our only reserve was in a rooftop water tank. My family and I tiptoed downstairs to check the tiny meter: less than half a tank of water remained. We used this precious amount to brush our teeth, wash our faces, and take a quick sponge bath. In the Malaysian equatorial heat, even that felt insufficient—my skin was clammy and sweat ran down my hairline. By 7 a.m., we faced our first real dilemma: breakfast. We had no way to wash rice, so we settled on dry bread and peanut butter—foods that didn’t require water to prepare. The last liter of water in the tank was for washing dishes, so my mother stuffed ceramic cups and plates into the sink and covered them with cloths to keep out dust. I brewed black coffee directly from the kettle, knowing that every sip would deplete our reserve...
