Small World

She knew she would be hit
she didn’t know how hard
she made the left turn
but felt, saw, from the side of her eye,
the blinding lights headed at her
no time to stop
or speed up
or re-think the turn into the library.

Rainy night

red lights of traffic glistening
all around her
the car stopped
the engine off
the radio off
acrid, dark smoke filled the car
air bag detonation.

The man appeared at her window

helped her out
are you ok?
then the police
then moving Opal off the road
then the tow arrangements
How to get home?
the man offered to take her.

She went to drop the book in the slot

her library errand complete
she got in the truck with the man
who’d just smashed her car
he was kind
they picked up his son
from Drivers Ed class
she mentioned she was a new Grandmother.

He asked her where she lived

sure I know where that is
the three drove along
packed closely in the front seat of the truck
She and the man who smashed Opal and the teenaged son
small talk
father and son talk
they got closer to her house

Right at the church

up the hill
a little further
left – here.
that’s where you live?
with JR?
small world
I built that deck for him 25 years ago.