Grant cornered her in the laundry room, Maya decided it was time to go. She’d been sleeping in parks and under bridges since then, moving town to town on buses when she could afford it. Through the cracks between the peer boards, Maya watched a woman with long hair stre with silver. She wore a black tank top that said, “Property of Dave across the back and jean shorts.
” The woman laughed as she handed out paper plates to kids running around the picnic tables. That’s Sarah, Dave’s old lady,” said a rough voice right above Maya. Her heart nearly stopped. Someone was on the pier, just feet above her head. “Mia froze, not even breathing.” “Been married 22 years now,” the voice continued, talking to someone else.
“She keeps the big man in line, that’s for sure.” Heavy boots thumped on the wood above her. Maya pressed herself against the damp sand, praying they wouldn’t look down and see her. If they found her watching them, who knows what they’d do. She’d heard stories about the hell’s angels. Dave said if anyone even looks at her wrong, they answer to the whole club.
Another voice said, laughing. Remember what happened to that guy in Oakdale? The boots moved away and Maya let out her breath. The water of the lake lapped gently at the shore near her feet. The air was getting cooler as the sun sank lower. Soon it would be dark, and Maya would need to find a safe place to sleep tonight.
Maybe the woods behind the lake would work if there weren’t too many bugs. She watched Sarah, the silver-haired woman, as she walked to the edge of the lake. Sarah dipped her toes in the water, then called back to the others, “Water’s perfect. I’m going for a swim.” Several people cheered, but no one joined her as Sarah waited deeper into the lake.
Maya admired how the woman moved with such freedom, like she had no fears at all. “What would that be like?” Maya wondered, to feel so safe in the world. Maya’s own mother had taught her to swim when she was five in a public pool with too much chlorine that made their eyes red. It was one of the few clear memories Maya had of her mom before the drugs took her away for good.
