6 | Mia's Gift

James' freshly bought Starbucks medium Mochachino smashes onto his white button shirt. "Oh God dammit!". Isabella, a rich woman, age 26, climbs into the car's back seat and hands James a handkerchief. James is old, tired looking, around 62. Isabella: "Sorry about that". "Not your doing". "Are you fine". "Yeah...I'm fine. Where to?". "Just a few blocks down, Jean Ave, 6th". James turns on the taxi meter and starts driving. The flying car lifts up into the air and buzzes away. Isabella notices James' ring and middle finger is bandaged up. Isabella: "Your hand?". "Oh, don't worry about it". "What happened?". "Got stabbed". "Got stabbed!?". "Yeah, no biggy, just caught my skin". "How did that happen?!". "Few nights ago. Had a ride down to South Side". "Why would you go down there?". "Don't usually. Saw the girls standing at school. Parents hadn't come to get them. It was raining, dark". "Did they take anything?". "The girls?". "No, the Souths". "Oh, no. They tried snatching one of the girl's school bags". "I see". "Got the school bag though". "Good on you!". "Yeah, grew up on South myself. Losing your school bag ain't fun. I'd lose my pocket money any day but losing your work, that really gets to you. Seen a few kids drop out after something like that". "What has this place become. You'd think the events in 2042 were bad". A car flies by right in front of James, almost hitting him, clearly missing the stop sign floating in the air. In the sudden stop, everything flew to the front of the car. James' sun visor popped open, dropping photos and papers. Isabella screams out of the window "Fuck you, you misogynistic shit!...Why do you just let him go!?". "What do you want me to do, chase him on your meter and rip out a bat to smash his face in? Those things don't give you good ratings you know". Isabella calms down. James: "Misogynistic shit, you hate all men?". "No, but any man I despise is a misogynistic shit". "Fair enough". Isabella notices a photo of a little girl that had fallen out the sun visor. Isabella: "Is she yours?". James nods yes. Isabella: "Pretty little one. What's her name?". "Mia". "Short for something?". "No, her mother had the same name". "Had?". "Yeah...". "I see. Sorry". Isabella also notices a sheet that fell open. It marks a chart of savings, seems like enough money has almost been collected. Isabella: "Saving up for something?". "Hey?". "The chart, on the sheet". "Oh" James quickly covers it up and puts it away "Yeah, saving up". "For what?". "Ah nothing much, just...emergency savings". "Ah, good man. Haven't done that myself". "Doesn't seem like you need emergency savings. No offence". "None taken, misogynistic shit". They laugh it off and chat away until they reach her destination. She pays him the meter fee and gets out. Isabella: "Say hi to Mia for me". James doesn't reply. Isabella: "Oh, and take th--". Suddenly a car rear ends James' taxi and drives away! James and Isabella check the wreck at the back. Isabella "Misogynistic shit". "You don't even know if it was a man?". "A woman would've had the decency to say sorry". "Right. It ain't the first time anyway". Isabella watches the emotionally drained James climb back in the driver seat. Isabella: "Hold on, I wanted to give you this", she hands him a handful of cash. "Your emergency savings. This should be enough to fill your goal". "I don't...thanks. It really means a bunch". Isabella: "Take care. Buy Mia a teddy for me would you, a blue one". James smiles. Later at night, James stops in front of "Carl's Coffins & Caskets". He walks in, with a blue teddy in his hand. Carl: "Oh hi, Jimmy right?". "James. I got the money". "Oh nice! We can start right away then. You wanted the Plain-Wood X-Small right?". "Yeah. Could you add this as well please". James hands over the blue teddy. "Of course. What did you say her name was again?". "Mia".