liquids

by Amir Szuster

How fast could a liquid flow?

I was the most prepared person in the world to answer that. But there, as blood sprayed from my daughter's neck, I simply couldn't act.

When she was seven, she asked me, "Dad, what do you do at work?"

"I measure liquids," I said. "How long does it take to fill a race car's tank? What is the best way to do it?"

“That's work, Dad? Sounds so silly." she laughed.

A year later, watching her bleed, I thought: How long does it take to empty a human body?

I still do not know.

Photo of Amir Szuster

BIO: Amir Szuster is a writer born in Brazil who has lived in Canada, Italy, and Israel. Influenced by the works of Etgar Keret, he is fascinated by the power of brevity. In his free time, he is an avid chess player with a passion for sports, Brazilian music, and literature.