Liz

There was something familiar. She opened the door before she cleared stuff off the front seat. I jumped right in. I really didn't think twice. She told me she didn't like anyone walking down the freeway. Afraid they would get hit. She assumed my car in the icy ditch. I smiled.

I ran out of gas still not adjusted to driving a distance to work.  I knew I needed gas, but the day delayed two hours it slipped my mind.  As the car died it was a quick check list and I knew I needed gas two miles from the exit.  

On the positive side I was going to do what I needed to do.  And I left my phone at home. Walk three miles well I had earned that.  I liked my attitude.  I had decided last minute to grab a coat and it was warm.  Things could be worse.  The last thing I expected was help.

It reminded me of an old car of my aunt's.  She dropped me at the circle.  I had only a mile and a half back but she said she was going to get some coffee and take me back.  I got the can and got the gas.  It was a ways around.  I asked where she was going and she said work but not quite where.  Her daughter had lost power that day headed to her house.  She pointed where she had helped someone else who no one would stop for, I said oh your responsible for this section of the road.

Both our cars were twenty years old.  I smiled and told her what they used to say in Serbia, "no longer teenagers."  I jumped out told her my name and she said her name was Liz.  In traffic that was all the time we had.  She was gone.  I almost didn't get the safety valve on the can open before my hands froze.  Would I have made it three miles?  I thought I would. Did look a bit to build a fire out.  Ice on all sides the road dry, shoulders crunchy.  We saw seven more cars off the road, but no one walking.

I was ten minutes late for work, saved me a days wages if not more.  All I could think to say was, "I hope you get all that you have coming your way!"