They were living a feral life on the outskirts of town… Tent camping on the coast in a lovely meadow with a creek that ran into the ocean below.
They had money for food and there was a big vegetable garden next door where they could help themselves. But there was no bathroom or shower and no toilet.
She couldn’t help it, she had to go. It was the middle of the night and she was leery about going out in the cold dark to do her business. She crept out quietly with the flashlight and took a squat some distance away from the tent.
Night after night she did this for nearly two weeks. The place was beginning to suffer the consequences of human waste. She felt as if she was surrounded by deposits of feces. It was like a dog yard – only human.
In the daylight she walked carefully around the meadow and picked up the contents of her Night Jars where they had dropped. At the end of it she had a grocery bag full of shit which she buried some distance away from the creek.
It was at this point she decided that she needed to begin looking for an apartment. It was noisy and crazy, but she was able to rent a little studio near the amusement park. At least the noise was a happy sound – kids screaming with delight at each turn of the roller coaster.
The apartment had a small kitchen and a nice bathroom with a big shower and a real flush toilet…. No more Night Jars! There is something to be said about indoor plumbing.
(First published 4/15/13)
