A little diner attracted me
I lunched on my favorite breakfast, An omelet
Filled with bacon, cheese and onions
Covered with salsa and Tabasco
No bagel though, this was a rustic eatery

My waitress, whom I greatly admired
And complimented with a question
“How can such a beauty as you lack a ring on her finger?”
Sadly she replied that her husband of ten years died last year
Embarrassed by the now revealed rudeness of my question

I drew her to me and told her of my son
Gone for now these many painful years
She paused in her chores and reached for my hand
And soothed me with understanding words
And emotions

We parted and I left
Shaken I took a round-about way back home
The constant drizzle and dreary skies
Echoed my mood

About a mile from home
A figure before me on the road
A young girl
With no rain coat or hat
Just slacks and a soaking wet sweater

Her thumb was out
Normally I pass such people
But this was in the middle of nowhere
I inquired, “Can I help?”
“Please drive me to the City” she responded pleadingly

I opened the door and in she jumped
“What to do?” I pondered
She told a cock and bull story of her plight
Jennifer she gave as her name, or was it Jessica
I wasn’t paying attention

My mind was occupied with wondering if I had erred in picking her up
Fourteen she gave as her age
Although physically she appeared older
Her face was that of a fourteen year old

I drew her out with talk of schools and family
She spoke of her Mother with affection
They were friends she said
Her Father was gone from their lives

She seemed quite real except for her story
A fairy tale of abduction
But she had not been assaulted and was unharmed she said
She did not want the police involved

I told her I did not believe her
But I felt that she was and would be okay
The twenty mile ride quickly was over
Her clothes had dried

She said she wanted to walk home
Her Mother would be disturbed that she had taken a ride from a stranger
I dropped her near the youth center and returned home
Wondering all the while and still
About this wonderful, painful and mysterious life