Summary

Ari pulls the car over and the Minister steps out. He steps into "ankle-deep sludge" and loses his left shoe upon his exit from the car (5). He sees a woman with a child in her arms and briefly wonders what she is thinking. He opens his arms wide and cries, "Water!" at the crowd, announcing that women and children are to receive the water first (5). But the people in the crowd ignore his instructions and rush toward him. As he opens the trunk of the car, a man puts a hand on the Minister. The man has a head wound and needs medical attention. He seems to recognize the Minister, but the Minister wonders to himself whether recognition matters anymore based on the desperate circumstances. The man asks the Minister to help his family, and the Minister hands him a few bills from...