Overheated Necessity and the Atypical Mothers of Invention (Short Story)

                                                                                                                        Word Count: 774

     Necessity is the matriarch of human ingenuity. This statement was never more so than in the summer of 1982 in central Asia. In Afghanistan a colonel named Bismullah Zadran accompanied a supply caravan across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan back to Kabul.  The trucks, loaded with a consignment of fruit and vegetables, were very full and very heavy.  Unfortunately, all two of the trucks in the caravan weren’t top of the line models in the Afghan government’s less than prodigious arsenal.  More like bottom of the barrel hold-overs from the British occupation held together with bailing wire (when available), tape (also when available), and the good fortunes of Allah smiling on his disciples.

     In addition to not having necessary tools should their vehicles encounter difficulties, another commodity the caravan didn’t have much of was water.  Since Bismullah was the commander, he was required to concern himself.  His wondering whether or not a lack of water might be a problem on this trip was sort of like contemplating whether heavy rains lead to flooding.

     Five hours into the trip and just as they were climbing to the top of the pass, the first of

the two “reliable” trucks began to sputter.  Within five minutes the second vehicle began to

lurch, overheat, and in this case issue forth a high pitched, ear-piercing scream from its engine not unlike that of a banshee outside a hospital full of terminal flu victims.

      As soon as the caravan pulled off to the side of the road and turned their engines off, a colleague of Bismullah’s named Omar, a graduate of Karachi Polytechnicwhere he studied Islamic Theology (vitally important for his job as an acquisitions officer), gave Bismullah a prime example of his unique eccentricities.

     “It looks as though the engines in both trucks aren’t well,” said Omar, who had the uncanny ability to state the obvious among other things.

     “Apparently Omar,” said an aggravated Bismullah.  Aggravated because he realized that if they didn’t get the caravan back to Kabul, it could be his head on the chopping block.  Both figuratively and literally.

     “What should we do Bismullah?” asked Omar, who wasn’t too concerned.  This wasn’t his problem, and even if it was he could always fall back on the government standby known the world over as “passing the buck”.

     “I’m pretty sure the radiators on these trucks have over-heated so we’re going to have to cool them down.”

     “It’s very hot, and we may not have water,” Said Omar.

     The urge to say something cutting passed over Bismullah numerous times, but he decided to resist it because of a sense of loyalty.  He also knew that Omar was his only friend in Kabul with a reliable T.V. This being a huge consideration during the Soviet occupation of their country.

Omar then smiled. “Maybe we can squeeze the juices out of some of the fruits that we’ve got. 

“We might get enough liquid to cool the radiators.”

     Amazing, thought Bismullah. Omar had actually stated something that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.  Quite an achievement considering the quick drying cement predicament they currently found themselves hardening in.  

     “That’s insane,” said Hasmatullah, another colleague not too concerned.  Knowing he too could fall back on the “buck passing” option if he found his fingernails being analyzed for cleanliness inside a Kabul army barracks.

     “No Hashmatullah,” said Bismullah.  “That actually isn’t so strange.  What fruits do we have that the liquids can be extracted from?”

     “What about these watermelons?” asked Omar.  “Are they fruits with high water content?”

     “That’s why they’re called watermelons Omar,” said Hashmatullah, who had no idea about Omar’s operating TV set.

     “Quite right Omar,” said Bismullah.  “Take these watermelons out of the back and let’s extract their water.”

     For the next three hours the members of the caravan squeezed water out of melons and filled radiators. Cooling the engines down, got them started, and eventually back on the road.  In fact, after a half hour of squeezing water by cutting melons, Bismullah suggested they go with another unconventional option.

     “Let’s cut a hole in these melons, place them on top of the radiators and hit them

with our rifles to force water into the radiators men.”

     Other than the occasional bird getting hit because it flew into the path of an errant rifle misfire, this option worked glowingly.  Arriving back in Kabul by nightfall. Having solved the

 problem of the overheated radiators with a totally unorthodox solution.