ELLEN PARKER lives in Seattle, Washington. She writes fiction. She works in p.r. She is the perfect mother.

                                                      it'll only take a sec

Why, at three minutes before midnight, is an old gaffer in a tamoshanter tooling around Greenwood Avenue in his Buick Riviera? Does he want "Sexy Beast" to be late? Does he want me to owe another $3.99? I need it for Huggies!

Does he want me to honk?

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!

Old guy about dropped his dentures.

But he moved aside. Yeah, he swerved.

I shouldn't be doing this. Baby's in bed. He'll be up for a bottle at two. This'll only take a few minutes. Just three more blocks to Blockbuster, stash the vid in the box, race home.

What could happen?

I mean, I've run out for jars of Gerber pears during his naps. He could have been wailing.

Everything's always fine.

I'll be fast.

Why's this red light taking forever? Nobody's here but me.

You know, the Cockney accents needed subtitles but I got the gist. Ben Kingsley made me think of the baby's father. Creepy little bugger in his short-sleeve dress shirts.

OK. There's Blockbuster, dark. Pull up to the box, roll down the window and hike!

Hell. The video hit the pavement.

Do I need to get out of the freakin' car? OK. I'll get out of the freakin' car.

"Hello."

Hello? Oh! It's Mr. Tamoshanter.

"Hello."

He parks. Gets out.

"Need help?" Comes close.

I step back.

"No. I'm fine."

He's big.

"Really."

His Riviera crouches behind us.

What's in his pocket?

I need to get home.

I have a baby.

"Got a light?"

It's midnight.

"I'm late."

"Yeah. Got a light?"

No. No light.

"Yes?"

"No."

"Yes. I need you to say yes. Got a light?"

"No."

"Say yes."

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© 2002-2003 Ellen Parker