Behind the back door where I work, I've sometimes noticed water stains on the pavement. I've never understood where these stains came from, since they didn't seem to follow any logic, and weren't associated with drain spouts or rainfall. These stains were distinct from pee stains too (of which there are often too many, since we are near Streets of London Pub, and several other fine drinking establishments). No, these stains weren't offensive; they were just puzzling.
After Sunday afternoon's performance of "Urinetown", I drove up to work, and saw a strange sight as I parked in the company lot. There was a homeless woman with her shopping cart behind the back door, apparently engaged in some kind of ritual. She faced north and tried to balance a jug of water on her head. Then she opened up the jug of water, turned east, and carefully spilled some water on the pavement. All the time, she made gestures and moved her lips, indicating some unheard conversation was underway.
I could sense my presence was disturbing her, so I went into my workplace and continued watching, but surreptitiously. She held the cap of the water jug at arm's length, and scanned the pavement in a broad arc, almost as if it were a magnifying glass into another dimension. She kept gesturing, and muttering.
After a few minutes, she seemed satisfied. She gratefully waved at the sky, and moved on.
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