All houses in a town does not have water taps. The municipality of the town makes arrangements to supply water for those who have no private taps. For this purpose every street has one or two taps. They are generally at the end of the street.
Long before, the men, women and children come to collect water with pails, pitchers or buckets in their hands. They place their pots below the tap. The water is collected on first come first serve basis. Some of them go back to finish work in their houses while their turn comes. Others remain waiting. They fear they will lose their turn.
On hearing the hissing sound of the tap everybody becomes active. Some of them who remain sitting push others to get water. This leads to exchange of hot words. After a few minutes of hot words are followed by blows and elbows. These municipality taps are means of creating bad blood between neighbours.
When some were fighting and breaking one another’s head, the tap ran uselessly. Others dared not to put their pots under tap. They got angry but they are helpless. An old man cried, “Stop fighting, you foolish people”.
Everybody thinks that the tap will run out after some time and they will have to go without water. People, therefore, separate the men who are fighting. They request them to fill their pots with water. At last the quarrel comes to an end. During the quarrel some people fill their buckets with water. As the time of the running of the tap is very short, some persons have to return home without a drop of water.
Besides the men and women, there comes a group of young men to the tap. They need no water. They sit on the platform of the houses near the tap. They indulge in loose talk. They pass unbecoming remarks. They tease young in very insulting way. They are evil people. They are collect water. Ladies bear their remarks.
Vocabulary
Hissing—sharp sound
Quarrel—dispute
