At the heart of the palm grove, a monster of plastic and bark rises up. Awakened by the children of the medina—kindred spirits with painted faces, adorned with plants, snails, cardboard, and plastics—summoning vital connections with the waste that litters the ground. Thus animated, the beast slowly clambers out of the oasis, undulating towards the old medina, accompanied by a rhythmic rattle of stones in abandoned bottles, and arriving finally at the ancient source.
There, it circles the water, emitting a primal cry of life and respect for the environment. Until, exhausted, it heaves to a halt within the fortified walls of Kasbah Aghenaj.
The monster slumbers again.
Until when …?