It's been a week since I took delivery of the tank, which I bought from a middleman who lives nearby. The deal has worked out beautifully, but the sight of it parked under the neem tree in front of our house did come as a shock to a few of my friends. It hasn't escaped my notice that most of them haven't visited me since...
Last time the milkman came around, he found me and my son washing the tank and then confessed to me, all atremble, that he'd frequently watered down the milk he sold us...
I just carried on washing and greasing the tank with my eldest son, and as he poured his heart out, I asked him to lend us a hand. He assented, his voice shaky...
We'd got the tank spotless by the time the milkman had finished cleaning our entire house; it looked like it was brand new. I could see tears in the milkman's eyes as he bade us farewell for the very last time.