Too Much Water in the Desert

I was in the desert, completely lost. After some time my throat hurt from dryness. My insides felt cracked and coarse. I couldn’t rub the sand off of my skin it was so ingrained. I was alone and dying in this great desert of no end. It was all the more painful that I had water with me, too.

I had several containers of water, in fact. I carried some at all times and buried others at the few landmarks I could find. I had as much water as anybody reasonably needs. But it was worthless to drink. It did nothing to quench my thirst, water my mouth or even clean my rags.

After an unbeknownst amount of time, I dropped face-down into a high rise dune. I turned my weak face to the side and saw somebody walking along but not approaching. They saw me, waved, and kept walking. I got up and ran to the person. They would not stop moving so I had to walk alongside them.

“Where are you going?” they asked.
“I’m walking where you’re walking,” I feebly responded.
“You’ll never get anywhere that way.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is C.”

C kept on walking, unaware or unconcerned that my mind was exploding with questions. I saw C was carrying a pack of some sort, undoubtedly containing water. At that point, everything clicked. C had water. I had water.

“I’ll trade some of my water for some of yours,” I offered.
“Sorry, but my water pack is half empty.”
“But I just need a little.”
“I’m sorry, but I need more first.”
“My water can help you!”
“Maybe. But you should focus on yourself, not trying to save me.”

I fell to my knees with hands to the sides of my head and screamed. I couldn’t understand C. It seemed so obvious but C’s complete apathy was killing me. I looked up to see C still walking away when I realized C wasn’t walking anywhere. C would be lost in the desert for years, like me, but would not admit being lost, unlike me.

C’s water, or anybody’s water, could save me, as I could save them. And there were many people in the desert. But since most never stopped to listen, I am still wandering in the desert, lost and dying from thirst. I am carrying water but it can’t save me, I need someone else’s.