You don't miss the water till the well is dry...

As a general rule, we are very fortunate with the services to our house. Compared to other houses in Harare, we get a lot of electricity (hardly any cuts) and usually full time water. We have no idea as to why this is, some say that it is because we are on the same grid as a big hospital, others that there must be a top guy from a ministry or ZANU PF living in our neighbourhood. Anyway, whatever the reason, we were very happy about this.

Since Saturday though, there was a huge pipe burst two blocks from our house. The entire main road was flooded and water ran as far as three streets down. Bursted pipelines are not uncommon in Harare, our street is almost continuously slippery (which isn't great with a motorbike) and there is a huge hole in the road from which people sometimes come and fill their buckets. Apparently about 75% of all the water in Harare is lost somewhere like this. Meanwhile, people are being charged ridiculous rates of two USD per month for their water consumption. Many would love to pay more, and have water all the time but can't. Needless to say, people often stay without water. Our direct colleagues get water like two or three hours a day and usually at like 2 or 3am. Hardly the time you want to wash your clothes or do the dishes... So, us the lucky ones, we used to have friends or colleagues come over and use our bathroom, wash their hair or kids.

But now, since this bursted pipe last Saturday, we didn't have any water either. And we aren't prepared for this. In the beginning, you say it isn't that bad, I mean, you can survive without bathing for a couple of days. But when all the dishes are dirty, you can't cook or even make coffee, the cat is walking around with its tongue out cause of thirst, you feel all sticky and smelly, you don't dare to go bear the toilet anymore because of the foul smell and you just peeled an orange and can't even wash your hands, well, you miss the water!

Thank God, since this morning, one of the people from our compound asked another neighbour who has a borehole (water pumped up from underground reservoirs) and he let us use a hooze for twenty minutes. I can tell you, seeing the excitement of all the neighbours, all the possible bottles, pots and pans, anything that can contain water were all rushed outside, even an old baby bath, and filled to the rim. Buckets dragged away and back, hearing toilets flushed and bathtubs filled up... Never had such a joyful meeting with the neighbours though, residents and housemaids alike. We were laughing that soon we would have to go shower like that, and make commercial spots for shampoos and all. Touching moment...