The first thing that Ryan noticed about the woman was the abundance of fine lines on her forehead. His mother, still youthful, had some lines that bespoke resolution and thoughtfulness. This woman was old. Despite her hair being a shiny metallic yellow, those lines seemed acid-etched, a cruel job of marking something permanent on a skin canvas.
The woman had tripped on her heels, sending her crashing into Ryan. Dragging a little behind his family to look at some soccer balls, Ryan was abruptly pulled to the ground.
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"Seth!"As Seth's taller but lanky body fell on his own, Ryan twisted desperately to cushion his brother. A moment later, Ryan felt the searing pain of bones twisting jarringly out of place. A skateboard skittered to the ground.
"Oh no! Ryan... I'm so sorry," cried Seth as he hurriedly leapt off of Ryan.
The damage was done though. Ryan slowly stood up with Seth's trembling aid. His left arm dangled uselessly.
"Don't worry about it, Seth," hissed Ryan in pain even as he began to smile crookedly, "It'll get better. Besides, I didn't want to hurt that hair of yours."
His hands involuntarily going up to check his "do", Seth guiltily replied, "I should have been more careful. I'll do all of your chores this week. I'll do your homework. I'll even play the Super Nintendo for you."
Despite the pain, Ryan had to chuckle at his brother's ability to turn anything into comedy, intentionally or not.
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"Shit. I'm so sorry... You're just a kid," murmured the woman as she glanced at first apologetically and then intensely at Ryan."That's ok. Are you sure you're ok?" asked Ryan hesitantly.
The woman continued to stare at Ryan without replying. Ryan was surprised to find himself looking at bluish eyes about the same shade as his own. Blue was usually his favorite color. It reminded him of the ocean, vast and bottomless. Water sometimes crystal clear, piercing the deepest depths. Water sometimes murky, hiding the deepest secrets.
The woman shook herself as if coming out of a deep reverie.
"Sorry for bumping into you. I'm just in such a hurry. My family is waiting for me at the parking lot. Say, would you like an ice cream cone? It will be my treat since I fell on you," said the woman in a bright voice.
Ryan considered the offer carefully. Usually, his mother would forbid them from going off with strangers. However, there was something about this woman. Her clothes were largely clean, but he could tell that they had been patched up. Her makeup was just a little too obvious, unlike the delicate play of colors that resulted from his mother's meticulous application. She had a nice face, he decided. A little worn out but still pleasant.
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Ryan stopped near the bundle of rags, curious by the snoring coming from it."Ryan, just ignore that," exclaimed Kirsten impatiently. They were waiting for a cab after having gone to a fancy restaurant for dinner.
Seth, always one to poke his nose into something his brother found interesting, asked his mother why they should ignore the spectacle.
"It's just a beggar. You never know these days. Some of them make more money than you can imagine and make a living just fleecing people who are kind enough to give them something," stated Kirsten.
Kirsten and Seth began to head toward a cab that had just pulled up. Ryan, an emotion rising in himself that he could not quite place, placed a ten dollar bill that his mother had given him earlier that week for snacks near the sleeping form, keeping it there with a small stone. He rose and joined his family.
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"Sure. But I have to be back soon," agreed Ryan cautiously."No problem. I just want to properly apologize," replied the woman.
"My name is Ryan Cohen," offered Ryan, "What is your name?"
"My name..." mused the woman, "My parents christened me Ellie when I was born. But, my first husband never liked that name. I changed it to please him."
A strange smile appeared on her lips. At once, she seemed to want to cry and laugh.
"Dawn. My name is Dawn. He used to say that I reminded him of the dawn."