Because of a drought, Zane and their family cannot access water near their home. Instead, they must carry it from another location. Zana's mother does not have time to fetch all the water, so Zane has to go to the distant gump. As a result, Zana constantly feels the pressure and responsibility of this task. She knows she must help her family, but she also has other chores to tend to. The problem that Zana is facing is the difficulty of fetching enough water for her family due to the drought and the added distance of the water source.