irritation.
Even his voice sounded tired. “Sorry, lady, I ain’t gonna do it. I’m on my way home, I been drivin’ twenty hours, and the closest clinic is in the wrong direction.”
“But you stopped! You have to take me!”
“I stopped ’cause you kicked my cab. And I don’t have to. Get out.”
“My little girl’s sick. Please.”
“Lady, I’m beat. Out. Unless you want to go home with me.”
He put his cab in gear.
She took out her stopper and pressed the barrels against his neck. “I’ll shoot you.”
“Sure, lady, fire away. Hit me with nap, I’ll go to sleep. Tangle, I’ll sit here locked to the steering wheel. Zap me with whack, I’ll drive in circles with my eyes shut.” He shrugged. “And then you’ll go to jail.”
Fury choked Jewel. “You son of a bitch!”
He rolled the cab forward.
“Let me out!”
He stopped and stared at her in the rearview mirror with all the emotion of a lizard. Fighting back tears, she struggled out and kicked the door shut.
The cab pulled away.
When it was about ten feet from her, the cabbie yelled, “THREAD!” The cab screeched to a stop. It idled for long seconds, then its tires shrilled as it raced backward and rocked to a stop next to her. The cabbie leaned toward her and said, “Okay, let’s go.”
She got in, and the cab sped down the street. The cabbie glanced in the rearview mirror. He didn’t look so angry anymore.
“I’m sorry, lady.” He held up his right hand to show a ring of many colors. One of them blended with the driver’s skin. She’d seen the same ring on a lot of hands during her travel through Oregon. Come to think of it, the old man she’d cut in front of at the Ashland bus station had worn one.
He said, “I’m new at this Alliance thing, just did the promise a week ago, and I ain’t used to trying hard with people.”
Grateful for the ride, she said, “That’s okay.”
“Name’s Franklin.”
“Yeah.” She stroked Chloe’s brow, afraid to touch her cheeks.
Five minutes later, Franklin wheeled his cab into a half-circle drive in front of an old, three-story brick home that had been converted into the Alliance Free Clinic. He eased to a stop. “That’s six eighty, ma’am.”
Jewel shoved a ten at him and ran, clutching Chloe to her chest.
Half an hour later, she walked out of the clinic, Chloe cradled in her arms. A gentle nurse practitioner had diagnosed a mild viral infection called fifth disease, which she said was also known as “slapped cheek disease.” Since a rash had appeared, Chloe was no longer contagious, and the nurse expected the redness to fade in a few days. She gave ibuprofen to Chloe and a double dose of calm to Jewel. The only cost had been a promise to do two hours of community service. Jewel had a list of places that needed help.
She stopped when she saw a yellow cab with a familiar-looking figure standing beside it. Hadn’t what’s-his-name told her he was beat and on the way home?
The cabbie opened the rear door and gestured toward the seat, an I’m-being-pleasant smile peeking through his beard. His body language still read exhausted, but his expression had new energy.
She ambled toward him. She figured it was up to him to start this ball rolling, so she held her silence.
His gaze dropped to the ground, shifted back to her face, then settled on Chloe. “How’s your little girl?”
“She’ll be okay. You waited to ask me that?”
He didn’t rise to the hostile edge in her voice. “Kinda. Wanted to see if I could help out.”
Okay, here it came. Why couldn’t guys just leave her be? If this kept up, she was going to have to gain fifty pounds and wear sacks. She played the game. “I don’t see how.”
“How about a free ride to where you’re going next?”
That sounded good. “Why?”
He said, “It’s the Alliance promise to help I made. I couldn’t stop thinking how you must have felt, scared for your little girl like you were and me actin’ like a
Even his voice sounded tired. “Sorry, lady, I ain’t gonna do it. I’m on my way home, I been drivin’ twenty hours, and the closest clinic is in the wrong direction.”
“But you stopped! You have to take me!”
“I stopped ’cause you kicked my cab. And I don’t have to. Get out.”
“My little girl’s sick. Please.”
“Lady, I’m beat. Out. Unless you want to go home with me.”
He put his cab in gear.
She took out her stopper and pressed the barrels against his neck. “I’ll shoot you.”
“Sure, lady, fire away. Hit me with nap, I’ll go to sleep. Tangle, I’ll sit here locked to the steering wheel. Zap me with whack, I’ll drive in circles with my eyes shut.” He shrugged. “And then you’ll go to jail.”
Fury choked Jewel. “You son of a bitch!”
He rolled the cab forward.
“Let me out!”
He stopped and stared at her in the rearview mirror with all the emotion of a lizard. Fighting back tears, she struggled out and kicked the door shut.
The cab pulled away.
When it was about ten feet from her, the cabbie yelled, “THREAD!” The cab screeched to a stop. It idled for long seconds, then its tires shrilled as it raced backward and rocked to a stop next to her. The cabbie leaned toward her and said, “Okay, let’s go.”
She got in, and the cab sped down the street. The cabbie glanced in the rearview mirror. He didn’t look so angry anymore.
“I’m sorry, lady.” He held up his right hand to show a ring of many colors. One of them blended with the driver’s skin. She’d seen the same ring on a lot of hands during her travel through Oregon. Come to think of it, the old man she’d cut in front of at the Ashland bus station had worn one.
He said, “I’m new at this Alliance thing, just did the promise a week ago, and I ain’t used to trying hard with people.”
Grateful for the ride, she said, “That’s okay.”
“Name’s Franklin.”
“Yeah.” She stroked Chloe’s brow, afraid to touch her cheeks.
Five minutes later, Franklin wheeled his cab into a half-circle drive in front of an old, three-story brick home that had been converted into the Alliance Free Clinic. He eased to a stop. “That’s six eighty, ma’am.”
Jewel shoved a ten at him and ran, clutching Chloe to her chest.
Half an hour later, she walked out of the clinic, Chloe cradled in her arms. A gentle nurse practitioner had diagnosed a mild viral infection called fifth disease, which she said was also known as “slapped cheek disease.” Since a rash had appeared, Chloe was no longer contagious, and the nurse expected the redness to fade in a few days. She gave ibuprofen to Chloe and a double dose of calm to Jewel. The only cost had been a promise to do two hours of community service. Jewel had a list of places that needed help.
She stopped when she saw a yellow cab with a familiar-looking figure standing beside it. Hadn’t what’s-his-name told her he was beat and on the way home?
The cabbie opened the rear door and gestured toward the seat, an I’m-being-pleasant smile peeking through his beard. His body language still read exhausted, but his expression had new energy.
She ambled toward him. She figured it was up to him to start this ball rolling, so she held her silence.
His gaze dropped to the ground, shifted back to her face, then settled on Chloe. “How’s your little girl?”
“She’ll be okay. You waited to ask me that?”
He didn’t rise to the hostile edge in her voice. “Kinda. Wanted to see if I could help out.”
Okay, here it came. Why couldn’t guys just leave her be? If this kept up, she was going to have to gain fifty pounds and wear sacks. She played the game. “I don’t see how.”
“How about a free ride to where you’re going next?”
That sounded good. “Why?”
He said, “It’s the Alliance promise to help I made. I couldn’t stop thinking how you must have felt, scared for your little girl like you were and me actin’ like a