“This world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another.”
*** *** ***
“I’m sorry. Can we just give you directions when we get to Greenwood Park? We don’t exactly remember the address.”
“Sure,” said the woman glancing at us once more through the rear-view before setting her eyes back on the road. Nicole slouched back against the seat and let out this long sigh which went almost unnoticed. I was in the process of thinking what to say to her when the cab-lady spoke again. “You know, my son also is also in love with hats. I mean, he never takes it off.”
“Excuse me?” We both sat up a little.
“The hat. Is that a thing among you boys again now? Wearing hats wherever you go no matter the time of day?”
“No, I-uhh, we just wear it, you know. It’s not like a trend or anything.”
“But I don’t really see …,” she paused to let out an embarrassed chuckle, “I’m sorry. it’s just, this job doesn’t really give a good chance to talk with my kids so I always have it out on my customers.”
“Especially kids.”
“Especially kids.” She repeated Nicole’s reply after a chuckle. “I’ve got two. Just like you. A boy and a girl. Anyways, are you new in town?”
But apparently she didn’t really wanna know ‘cause she somehow related our answer to that question to the falling of her son’s grades, the rising of her daughter’s skirts, and from there she went on and on about a family she was working day in day out to provide for but hardly ever knew anymore.
Though looking sleep-deprived, Nicole was nice enough to urge her on by putting ‘And?’, ‘Really?’, and such in between her sentences, and I just looked on. The sight of that woman reminded me of Jen: or rather, what Jen used to be before she tied the knot with Ed: a single mother toiling to support a family.
Of course, Jen didn’t have to drive around in a cab all day but she was free as a bird before she took me in: a beautiful single woman in her early thirties with a respectable job; who surely didn’t need a 15 years old girl who was depressed half the time; who didn’t need the burden of giving that girl shelter, clothes – and love. And that girl still calls her by her first name.
Jennifer Collins deserves something better from me. A whole lot better.
“Yeah, this is our street. Thanks a lot.”
“No worries. Oh, here’s the receipt.”
“Hey, thanks,” Nicole took the slip while I closed the car-door. “Take care, Julia.”
“You, too, kid. Remember what I told you about college, alright?”
“Yes, ma’am,” she replied then turned to me once the car was gone and said with a small shrug, “nice lady.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, glancing around the neighborhood. “So, that way?”
If I remembered it right, we were still quite a long away from Liz’s house but we’d decided, with silent agreement, to get off here and let Julia call it a day. It was her son’s birthday, as she realized when she was telling us about him, and we knew she wanted to surprise him so we played good Samaritans.
“Yeah, come on. Those two lovebirds we caged together must be really pissed by now.”
I chuckled and followed her as she crossed the street and we both started walking along the sidewalk of the main road.
YOU ARE READING
Living in Sin (On Hold)
Teen FictionTwo years after losing her mother in an accident, a guilt-stricken Nicole Taylor felt she could move on again with her life. That was until her father came back, with unexpected guests. On the other side, despite her own not-so-merry life, Rina Hav...
