Grasshopper squeezes the last of the suntan lotion into his hands and throws the empty container down. He rubs the lotion into every inch of his arms, taking care to rub between his fingers. His arms have been soaking up the lotion like sponges and he has had to keep applying coats.
He wishes his whole body was like his chest, which was still slick and shiny with the lotion he had applied in the morning.
A grunt of satisfaction follows a glance down his glistening self and he lies back down, opening his arms wide so that the sun’s rays can penetrate deep into his armpits. There were going to be no pale creases on his body this time.
His bright green colour is already fading. Hopefully, he’ll soon be the gorgeous golden brown hue of his cousin, Locust. He picks up the sugar cane he has been feasting on, takes a large bite and chews contently.
He does not look up when he hears footsteps approaching. They shuffle and plod in the rhythm he has been hearing for the past two months.
“Have a piece of sugarcane” he offers, his eyes closed.
“No.” The answer comes short and terse.
“Just one piece”, encourages Grasshopper, still lying back with eyes shut.
“No.” The reply comes from a distance as the footsteps move away. “...have…to…finish…”
The dry season checks in a few weeks later and Grasshopper continues to bask. He hasn’t yet managed to turn the colour he wanted. He runs out of suntan lotion, reasons that the lotion had perhaps prevented him from turning brown, so it is just as well that it was over.
Well, it is a month later and Grasshopper is brown now, although it is not the brown he craved. The smell of burnt meat hangs heavily in the hot air.
Grasshopper has such a painful case of sunburn that he cannot move at all. His arms are open wide because of the painful scabs under them. His stomach burns from within as he is unable to swallow solid food.
But everyday a tiny ant, who's never forgotten the daily offer of a piece of sugarcane, comes and checks that the shelter he erected over Grasshopper is still firm, and drops water and liquidized food into a scarred mouth that's held open in a silent and excruciating scream.