The Rich-Poor Paradox

Short Story 09

The new shampoo claimed to have 3 fruits in its concoction. She felt the change in the texture but she wasn’t sure how effective it would be. The water slid down her shoulders, down the drain hole and finally out in the sewers.

There, a young child waited for her mother to return from home. The sewers was no place to stay but for someone who didn’t have a shelter over her head, it wasn’t a big deal. Besides, she could always scavenge for some leftovers near the trash dump. Last evening, she had found the peel of a few fruits, which had sufficed as her dinner.

The lady, now that she was done bathing, had a light lunch as she was gaining considerable weight. She watched TV for a while, where the news of some slum-dwellers protesting over the highway over the demolition of their homes, was being splashed across all news channels, She switched off the TV, worried that she would be late for her meeting. It was important, one that would rake the firm a lot of profits. She had to be on time.

Time was something that the young child had in plenty. She wasn’t aware of the clock and its hours but her limited environment and its stimulation made it of little use anyway. She was waiting still in the evening for her mother who had gone in search of some work.

The meeting had been successful but she had an inkling that the bargain hadn’t been driven hard enough. She decided to pursue the agenda to that effect in the next meet. For now, she was content to have dinner with her husband. The food was good and so was her mood.

Her moods were now declining. The rumble in her stomach was now real bad and her mother hadn’t returned still. She left the sewers and spent the next few hours walking around, in search of some food.

Food was the cause of all worries. She had consumed more than necessary and now her stomach was troubling her. She knew she would have to do something.

To ease her digestion, she spent the next few hours walking.