Taste Test

One morning on a day off, I stopped in the middle of breakfast while drinking water.

‘The water tastes a little different.’

It was a very slight difference.

It was drawn from the same well as yesterday, but the aftertaste was minutely heavier.

Perhaps it had rained a little overnight and changed the smell of the earth around the well, or perhaps the cloth used to wash the water jug hadn't dried completely.

I set down my cup and thought.

‘This won't do.’

Marie, who was tearing off pieces of bread beside me, looked at me.

“Why do you have that look on your face again?”

“The water tastes different.”...