The day was ripe for a barbecue. A plate of marinated chicken chunks were ready for the grill. The only thing missing was the fire.
But Melanie and Jeffrey were not so sure of that. They debated for an hour until they concluded that indeed the only thing missing was the fire.
After an equally long brainstorming session, the two hypothesized that the box of matches on the picnic table would lead to the fire.
Melanie picked up the box and shook it, hoping that the rattle would do something, but it did nothing.
Melanie gazed super intently at the match head, engaging mind over matter. No can do.
Jeffrey took the match and without striking it, dropped it in the grill. Nope.
They were angry, but they also accepted defeat. They had nothing else left to do but to walk out to the dock for a cigarette.