A woman was driving down I-5 to Los Angeles to see her daughter who was trying to get away from her husband. The woman was tired. She had worked all her life and she was wearing out. She wanted to rest - just sit and do nothing. But she had no money saved and bad stuff kept happening to her children. Sometimes she thought sadly that her children should be helping her out instead of her always coming through with emergency money or shelter or childcare.
And so on this day she was driving to Los Angeles because her second daughter wanted to escape a husband who she said abused her. She wanted her mother to take the children. The woman was driving down from Tacoma. She'd probably lost her job because this was the second time she'd taken time off without notice. No big deal, but it was a pretty nice job cooking for a small restaurant. She stopped for gas at the Los Banos exit. It was hot. A dry wind was blowing. A 74 Chevy was parked out by the air and water. A woman leaned up against the car drinking a diet Coke. She was looking over in a predatory sort of way. She looked into the car and said something to a child in the passenger seat then came over.
``Hi!''
``Hi!''
``Can I ask you for five bucks?''
``Five?''
``Yeah. I need to buy gas.''
``Where are you going?''
``Bakersfield.''
``Five wont get you there in that rig.'' The child was watching from the car. For the first time she looked at the younger woman and she experienced a shock. Those small brown eyes. That scar. There couldn't be two like it.
Back in time thirty years to a trailer park near Santa Maria. Baby sitting for her neighbor. Scarlet Dawn with the small brown eyes playing in the trailer - the boys and Tania outside in the eucalyptus wind. That banging. Scarlet Dawn banging on granma's silver tray with the iron. Each bang a deep dent. She snatches the iron and it flies up and hits baby Scarlet just above the left eye.
Scarlet's mom said not to worry and butterflied the gash as well as she could, but it healed really funny - and there it was today.
``What's your name?'' she asked.
``Scarlet Dawn. Pretty, ain't it?''
I know you, Scarlet Dawn,'' she said, ``I know how you got that scar!''
``Baby sitter hit me with an iron,'' said Scarlet Dawn. ``I probably deserved it.''
``No, you didn't,'' said the woman.
She took ten dollars she couldn't afford out of her purse and handed it to Scarlet Dawn.
``Get that kid something to drink,'' she said.