By Andrea Xu ‘25
It was a dreary mid-January dawn. “Raisin showers”, slimy and purplish debris from outer space, intruded on Southborough at 6:04 AM the morning. Once these raisin-shaped fragments hit the surface, their collisions resembled the ribbit of pond frogs. The shower only increased in strength, by and by, staining the sky to a darker shade.
First, the rain roused Ally, an early bird who liked to shower in the morning. She got off her bed from a frozen shrill, bolting down to the bathroom. The hot water supply halted and impatience grew in her. Ally blanketed herself in a bathrobe, angrily slamming the bathroom door. Her tantrum ended with Ava’s attempt to prepare her porridge. Ava calmly poured some oatmeal into her bowl, turning the faucet handle to her left. Without noticing the imminent frustration, she gulped a spoonful of oatmeals, yet, the combined taste of raw oats and unusually cold water thrusted her into a nausea. It was a chaotic morning in the Gaccon hallway. Everyone sneezed an “acho” and gathered closer only to steal some heat. One girl moaned because she couldn’t brew her lavish tea.
Then, an email alert broke the gratuitous groans. It was an urgent letter sent from the headmaster, reading:
“Dear St. Mark’s Community,
As many of you are aware, the fragmented heating supply has become a rife grievance across our community. In an effort to dispel rumors, there is a major readjustment in the school budget in the philanthropy and reconstruction sectors. Due to the recent inland flooding in Massachusetts, I believe it is our priority to rebuild the hockey rink and the robotics labs, both sites mark the school’s prized legacies. I understand the ephemeral electricity shortage brings us many inconveniences. However, I want all of you to be aware of the environmental crisis in this mid-21st century: our nation is undergoing an unprecedented decline in natural oil, thereby causing the meteoric inflation of electricity bills, to a $1.2/kWh. Our effort to prioritize this sustainability campaign could be very powerful. Evaluating our large demand for electrical infrastructures from all respect, the board of trustees removed the hot water supply in the bathrooms… Our solution is to replace every bed with a comfy electric heating pad.
Sincerely,
Mr. Greedy”