I step into my car, exhausted from my day and work. Been thinking about the bath I’m gonna take when I get home. I turn the keys, put my podcast on, flip it in reverse. She walks up. “Excuse me. I know you don’t know me. Do you speak English?” Yes. “I know this is weird, you don’t know me. I need a ride home, my daughter is getting off soon and she can’t walk home alone. I can’t get a ride home. The bus denied my pass, I don’t have any money, I just need a ride home, Can you help me?” I’m both parts annoyed and hurt for her situation, I really want to help but I also really want to be done with my day. My body hurts, my mind hurts, my heart hurts. Uh sure. Hop in. Where do you live? “Oh god, thank you. I can’t pay you, but thank you thank you. I live downtown, it’s not far.” She gets in my car, nervously shaking and stuttering as she weakly puts down her heavy bags. She lets out a big sigh. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’m having. One thing after the other. I’m out of a job. Out of school. Out of money. I can’t believe I’m in a strangers car...” I pull out on the road and the thought hits me, I’m not proud of it, but the thought hits me hard. (She could hurt me and take my money and my car. She could stab me right now with something she has hidden in her heavy bags. She could grab me and make me crash the car. She could she could she could SHE COULD) So tell me about your daughter. My names Carly by the way. “She’s in third grade, smart kid. Smarter than I ever will be. She loves people and playing soccer. I wish I could give her everything in the world. I wish I was different...I’m Monica.”
I drive in silence. I don’t know what to do other than keep driving. She hasn’t given me any directions yet. We’ve just been driving down the one main street. (SHE COULD SHE COULD SHE COULD).
Have you always lived here? “Yeah, my mom raised me alone. Turn right up here. It’s the house on the left. Straight shot down.” I pull up to the side of the road, near to where she claimed her house was. No one is near where we are, empty street with empty houses and empty silence around us. (SHE COULD SHE COULD IF SHE IS ITS NOW) I keep the car on. Is this it? “Yeah, here. Listen. Thank you.”
She steps out my car and walks away quickly. Runs away really. I watch her go. Then I drive off...I put my podcast on. I drive. I’m crying?
