The Kara-Buura garden

Water turns

budding · planted 2024-05 · tended 2025-08

In summer the irrigation ditch comes to our street on a schedule: each yard gets the water for a set number of hours, by turn, day or night. The man who keeps the turns is called the mirab. When our turn fell at 3 a.m., Grandfather went out with a shovel and a torch, and so did every neighbour on their night.

The schedule was in a school exercise book. The mirab kept it in his chest pocket for thirty years. Nobody ever argued with the exercise book. See On apricots and patience.