Broken

I’m almost done the dishes when the unthinkable happens. My hand, slippery with suds, grasps my glass and it slips, falling onto the floor with a sharp crack.

I stare in horror at my only glass, lying in four large pieces and a scattering of shards. Immediately I start gathering them together, trying to fit them together as if I am at an archeological dig. Stupid to bring an actual glass down here, I know, but it is a normalcy item for me.

I can fix it with enough time and patience but I only have two tubes of glue left. Sure, a glass is precious but what else could break in the next year that might require the glue more?

Or I can drink out a bowl from now on and throw these shards away, giving up on it as not worth my efforts. The thought lingers for only a few seconds before I discard it. I can’t afford to throw anything away if possible.

It takes an hour sitting with magnifying glass and tweezers at the camp table before the glass has been reconstructed. It looks ugly and I will need to sand off the sharp edges to avoid cutting my mouth when I drink. But it’s usable again.

Later, lying on my cot, I take out my diary.

Day 499 of Verevkina Cave Experiment. Did rounds to check on seismic sensors. Did minor repairs on #41. Digestion normal, mental state average. 231 days until completion, the time still seems to be going fast. I broke my glass.

I pause, unsure if I should erase that. Maybe no one will care later about this detail, up there where you can buy as many glasses as you want. But it’s the most significant thing to happen to me today.

After a moment of thought, I pick up the pen and add another sentence: I fixed it.

Daily writing prompt

Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

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This story evolved from this prompt to think about extreme sustainability, in situations where nothing can be thrown away and everything has to be reused in one way or another.