Unbearable Heat

• Rachel Herron, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2009

Lee was waiting for the phone to ring. Beads of sweat were dripping off his forehead, down his nose and off his chin. His clothes were stuck to his body. The only thing Lee wanted was a glass of refreshing, cold water. One thing that seems so simple was so hard to obtain.

Lee slowly walked into the kitchen, putting up with the heat through every step he took. He reached into a cupboard with his left hand. He patted the bottom of the cupboard but it was empty. On his tiptoes, Lee peeped into the cupboard and found a glass. He was weak. His fingers struggled to grasp the glass. It was right at the back. Eventually, Lee held the glass with his left hand as he wandered over to the kitchen sink. Lee was dragging his feet on the cracked cream tiles. He located the tap with his right hand. Slowly, he turned the tap clockwise and the water trickled out. It wasn’t cold. Warm water coming out of a tap marked ‘cold’. The irony was immense. He took a sip. This was all he had. A glass of warm water on an intensely hot day. Lee couldn’t take it any more. He tipped the glass upside down above his head, and the water escaped. Somehow, it made him feel a little better. Well, it helped him forget about the heat for at least a few minutes.

Lee lived alone. He looked out the cracked kitchen window and the sheep were struggling. They were sheltering under the old oak tree. They were balls of fluff lying in the heat. Lee gradually grasped the door handle as he headed outside. He hoped that the phone wouldn’t ring while he was out. He walked over to the sheep to check on their water supply. It was scarce. Lee knew that he needed to re-fill it, but he couldn’t be bothered. He felt lethargic. He grabbed the bucket and filled it up. It was full to the brim. He wished that his fridge worked. As he strolled back to the house he could hear a banging. He had no idea to what it could be. Was he being robbed? His heart was beating a million miles an hour. He broke into a slow jog as he passed through the kitchen door. He followed the thudding noise. He couldn’t find the source anywhere. All of his belongings were still in place. There was no robber about. As he passed the front door the noise was amplified. He had never thought to check the front door. He opened the door little by little and peeked out. What could be there? Oh, it was just the electrician. He was here to fix the power. No wonder the phone wasn’t working – the power was off. Now, the air conditioning and fridge would work again. Lee had never felt so relieved in his life. The unbearable heat was over.