Weight of Rice

"Are you okay, Noa?"

"I…should be…fine…"

Mira looks up at me with uncertainty on the road home from the grocery store.

The little rabbit carries several plastic bags filled with items like bread, leafy vegetables, eggs, and basic cooking necessities. Meanwhile, my arms are filled with bags containing frozen meats and vegetables, fruits, and everything else that weighs more than a bottle of water, including the bottles of water. These items are simply hanging around, the main show is the 10 kg sack of rice being supported by my entire body.

"Where is that big oaf when you need him…"

Maybe the world is punishing me for my recent success with women as of late. Even if the world isn't, my friend would be more than willing to force this kind of ordeal on me. This is all his fault, definitely not mine for purchasing the most economical item for long term hunger prevention.

Even if the world is against me, at least one person is on my side.

"Do you need help? I can carry more."

"Don't worry about it…you already have your hands full—AHH!"

A small crack in the road catches my foot and I collapse with all of my luggage in tow. Fortunately, nothing seems to have broken. Although we might have to deal with some bruised apples and a deformed milk jug.

Mira crouches down at my spot on the ground, frantically looking around for help.

"I'm fine…I just need a bit of a break…"

I lug the groceries to a nearby bench and collapse on the old and faded wood. Mira takes a seat next to me and stares out into the trees nearby.

"Finding food can be hard for humans too, huh?"

"Something like that, but we have it much easier than most animals."

"Yeah, it's not fair!"

The rabbit leaps to her feet and balls her hands into fists.

"That 'grocery store' was too amazing! There was so much food just sitting there and waiting to be eaten!"

"Don't forget that we had to pay for everything, so it's not free."

It was a challenge keeping Mira from going on a rampage of munching on everything edible in sight. If I took my eyes off of her for even a second, she would be trying to bite into the produce on display. I've put off going into the intricacies of currency for as long as possible, but things will only get more annoying the longer she goes without knowing how money works. All I can do is sigh and try my best to explain the most fundamental concept of civilization: currency.

"Alright Mira, do you know what money is?"

"Money?"

I pull out an old reliable dollar bill to answer her head tilt.

"The paper gold so to speak. It's the item that holds all people together and tears them apart at the same time."

"Didn't you say that we needed that stuff to get food?"

"Exactly, you can't eat without money to buy food."

The rabbit only has a blank stare to the piece of paper in my hand. I can see the gears turning in her head, but her furrowed brows leak just how little those gears are lining up.

"You don't just go out and gather food?"

"That may be fine for an animal the size of my foot, but imagine trying to feed somebody my size from grass and berries."

"Urk, that sounds difficult…"

Mira places her hands on her head to find some other option. Whatever she was thinking is put on hold when I thrust the dollar bill towards her.

"The answer is money!"

"Money looks very edible."

"If you eat my cash, I'm throwing you back into the hole I found you in!"

My raised voice was enough to make the rabbit flinch, but that doesn't stop the train of information.

"You see, other people gather food for us and we use this paper to purchase what we need from them. They can then use the money to purchase the things they need."

"So more money means more food?"

"Exactly!"

Mira's eyes light up at the prospect.

"Noa, we need more money! Where do we find money!?"

I put a hand into the air and halt the rabbit's excited bouncing. A grave expression is now painted on my face, one of a warrior broken by hundreds of battles. I pat the seat on the bench that Mira had recently vacated.

"Take a seat, young rabbit."

"O-Okay…"

Scared by my sudden shift in energy, she nervously takes her seat.

"Us humans spend our lives chasing money. Anything you could ever wish for has a price tag, so to dream is to desire money."

My age must be showing as I provide a solemn speech to the young creature. Just ignore the fact that I've never worked a day in my life.

"The quest for money is long and arduous. One must place both their body and mind on the line to obtain this treasure."

"I-Is it really that dangerous!?"

"Indeed. Just as one may break their back to sow the rice that grows civilization, so too may we meet our end to turn the gears of society. Only through your labour may you savour the fruits that this labour grows!"

Birds that had perched off to the side fly away into the trees as I yell out to the world. Mira cowers in fear next to me, struck by both the intensity of my words and her inescapable fate.

"So I have to work to eat…"

"Such is life. Even rabbits must forage daily to survive."

The air has become quiet as we take in the autumn breeze, waiting for the revelation to sink in.

I make it sound like it isn't my problem, but even I only have a couple of years left before I need to decide how I intend to make a living. Taking a programming class was my way of giving myself options, but it isn't without risks. Developing software is a pretty stable job, so my parents tell me, but it requires college and a lot of subjects that I struggle with. I can't even say that I enjoy it all that much.

Mira is lost in thought beside me, but I can see the stress in her eyes. I'm having trouble thinking of the future, but I can only imagine what it's like for her. If I'm being honest, I don't see her making it out here on her own. Even those of us born human sometimes find ourselves with nowhere to go. To have such a disadvantage from the very beginning will only make catching up more challenging. If Mira and I are to see a future together, I have to be the one holding us up.

The rustling of plastic bags joins in with the chirping of birds. Everything we have can simply be blown away if I can't find a way to survive. Seeing my own life waste away is one thing, but I wouldn't surrender Mira to that fate. I'm not quite sure why, but I feel strongly about at least that much.

The wooden planks creak as I leap to my feet.

"Alright, I'm good now. Let's keep going."

"Are you sure?"

I wrap my arms back up with heavy plastic bags and hug the massive sack of rice close to my chest. My feet sink into the soil and my muscles return to screaming for help.

"Somebody has to carry the load!"

I begin a slow trek back to the sidewalk while Mira gathers her own bags. Predictably, my head start doesn't give me much of a lead. Was rice always this heavy?

"Noa!"

My knees painfully lock to stop my movement as Mira appears directly in front of me. Her blue eyes gaze up at me with a frown.

"Let me help!"

"I can handle it! Heavy lifting is my job!"

"But you're having trouble!"

I try to frown back at the rabbit, but I can't manage any kind of intimidation while under this much physical stress. All I can do is try walking and hoping that she moves. However, Mira closes the distance between us before I can even make my move.

"I'll take this one!"

There is a forceful tug on the bag of apples hanging from one of my arms. It's the easiest one for her to reach as well as the easiest one for me to release.

"A-Are you sure? It's heavy…"

"I can do at least this much!"

Her cheeks are puffed out in anger as she tugs harder on the plastic, almost threatening to tear its handles in the process.

"I want to help you!"

Her insistence and determination took away whatever I had planned to say in response. I was going to handle the weight on my own, that much I had decided on, but I'm not alone. Mira wants to share the load, even if only a bit. We live together, so it's natural for us to help each other out. Yet why do I feel myself smiling?

"If you really want it, you can have it. Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"I can handle—woah!"

Mira's back is forced to bend forward from the weight of the bag. Her little grunts continue until she finally manages to bring the items into her arms.

"No…problem!"

"Hahaha! Thanks, Mira."

"Yup!"

My arms and back still feel like they're dying, but a nice bit of weight has been removed from my load. With assistance from a little rabbit, the luggage was successfully delivered home.