Time once again for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle at Addicted To the Color Purple.
Each week our hostess challenges us to write a story in a hundred words based off of a photo prompt of her choosing. That prompt is below and you can go to Rochelle’s page and find her other contributors’ stories on the blue frog link.
photo prompt: @Madison Woods
Boys Must Play
by JE Lillie
The two boys danced around the spigot cups in hand. They had worked hard all morning and figured they had earned a break.
Heedless of the gathering crowd,they filled and tossed water at one another until their shirts were drenched.
Sister Amelia stormed through the press and tore the cups from the boys’ hands. The youngsters’ laughter drained into the scowls of the Mexican crowd.
“We came to minister to these people.” Sister Amelia hissed into the oldest boy’s ear.
“Instead you waste their water.”
The desert wind howled the lesson.
Lillie-Put 
water can be the most precious gift.. I hope it was a lesson for them
Indeed it was.
And so we learn. Nice one.
Thanks Patrick. Some of life’s lessons are harder than others.
Culture clash: who’s to blame?
Good piece.
Interesting question. Obn most missions I have been on there is extensive training about societal expectations. I think this was the boys not taking one of those training tips seriously. I have watched just that happen on several missions trips.
A sharp lesson, I hope they learn from it. Water can be so precious, as you made clear with your final line.
A lesson indeed. Fabulous last line.
Thanks!
Water is such a precious commodity that not everyone realises. I’m glad those boys will have learnt that lesson.
So much story behind this short piece – I loved it.
Thank you Claire!
I expect they remembered that lesson. It seemed quite painful to me, as the reader.
I think they would. It was a hard way to learn.
A good lesson to learn, but I feel a bit sorry for the boys. There shows my priviledge of living in a part of the world where frolicking in water is a given. Great story.
As it is in my party of the world. But missions is a hard look at the lives of others and there are many such lessons to be learned by those who will dare to venture in.
I’ve never gone thirsty and for that I am grateful. Perhaps their ministry should be bringing water to these poor people instead of or in addiction to the good word.
Usually meeting the need of the moment is a very important part of meeting the eternal need.
Great last line!
Thanks Dawn.
People from different cultures are aware of different things. I think that these boys will never forget the value of water in the future. You told it well.
Thanks Irene. We have much to learn from each other.
Life is one continual lesson. We just have to learn to learn the lessons.
And not repeat them over and over and over and….