She Sells Flowers for a Piece of Paradise

I saw her. All 3 feet of her.

She looked so small and frail in her drenched dress, which wasn't even a dress but an oversized shirt for a man. But, she wasn't a man and the shirt didn't fit, so once ever so often, it would slip off of her shoulder, exposing her sunburned skin to the rain and the cold that seemed to be everywhere tonight.

She looked like she was drowning in the rain, kicking at the tiny river that formed along the edges of the road. She let her toes be tickled by the rushing rainwater. I saw them wiggle and I smiled. I couldn't tell if she was playing a game or if she needed to dip her feet in the cold water, because they were burned and raw from the hot pavement. I couldn't tell if the drops on her cheeks were rain or tears.

I hate storms and there I was inside my car--dry, warm, and comfortable. I wonder how much hatred she felt towards the pellets of rain that bit on her tender skin. If I were her, I would be filled with anger and my eyes would reflect that hardness and hopelessness no matter where I looked or who it was that was looking in. The rain can break down trees, hills and a person's spirit.

But... not hers. I saw youth and light in her eyes, as she tapped on my car window, peddling stringed sampaguitas. I couldn't stand the scent of the tiny white flowers, at least not cooped up inside my car, but I still fumbled for coins... one, two, three, four, five. Five pesos is all I could find. 10 cents to the rest of the world. I quickly pulled down the window and dropped the coins in her tiny fingers.

She tried giving me a lei or two, with this huge grin on her face. I said no, it's okay. Keep the flowers, sell them to someone else. The coins are for you. I didn't think her grin could get any bigger. Five pesos and I bought sunshine for a barefoot little child on the streets. Sunshine at 7 pm. So how come I was the one who felt warm inside?

When the light turned green, she waved at me. I heard a shrill "Bye!" from where she stood. My wallet fell open in my lap and I saw a hundred peso bill peeping out. If five pesos could buy a couple of sunbeams from a little girl's smile, how much could one hundred pesos have bought? Moonlight... stars... blue skies... full stomachs... slippers... a real dress... paradise. Maybe.

But, it was too late. She disappeared when I turned the corner and so did the sunshine inside of me. Nothing is ever enough.