In the morning, still rubbing my sleepy eyes, I put some lemon juice and sugar into an empty cola bottle, then cheerfully set off on my way with it stuffed in my snack bag. We were already halfway through the Rám Gorge when I first became thirsty. I looked at the syrup swishing around at the bottom of the bottle with some puzzlement, and the feeling came over me that maybe I hadn’t just forgotten small things that morning, like how to make lemonade. Of course, Kovács immediately appeared beside me.

‘What’s this? You only have this much drinking liquid left?’ Kovács was hopelessly addicted to canteen expressions.

‘No, I just forgot to put water in it.’ I answered in a slightly more pensive tone than average, trying to recall the state of our household appliances that morning. Did I turn off the gas? Or did I cook anything at all? Hardly. I can’t cook.

‘And what are you going to do with it now? Look for a tap?’

‘I guess I’ll look.’ I replied, and then something came to mind. ‘Hey, Janó! I have a little grapefruit juice left, but I’m not thirsty anymore and I don’t want to carry it. Do you want it?’

In an instant, Janó squeezed through the double row to reach us.

‘Sure! Bring it on!’ said the always ravenous kid, snatching the bottle from my hand.

‘But when it’s empty, you have to throw away the trash!’

‘Alright! I’ll just shove it into Mr.Lajos’s suitcase. Thanks!’ he disappeared to the back.

‘He didn’t even seem thirsty.’ Kovács grinned beside me.

‘Well, he will be.’ I winked at him. ‘Very thirsty!’