The old lady was left by the side of the car as the phone argument continued, sitting calmly in the wheelchair. A black raven was obscuring her face; the large, black, wraparound glasses that could be for blindness, or just sun terror. They seemed heavy for her delicacy.

He watched, taking a long inhalation on the medical; the wheelchair woman turned, and the look betrayed an assessment that put blindness out of the question. She continued to stare through the Spanish shouts, a smile stretched across the tight landscape with lips that wore red; he envisioned the red oozing into the tiny ravines that ran top and bottom of the chasm. He smiled back, he felt, very slowly, time between them paused, until the play button was pressed by the Mexican, the film started again and the wheelchair was pushed to the back of the car.

The old lady stood now, not looking, and, slowly supporting herself along the side of the car, walked to the right side and rested, while the Mexican listened intently on the cell phone, manipulating the wheelchair into the cavern that had opened up at the back of the black mass of metal. The look came back his way, but the smile had gone; now she just stood staring, and he felt he was waiting in the dock.

Go on then pass the judgement, I am not going anywhere. Really I am not.

The door slammed shut on the other side of the car. No engine started but the immersion in the phone call had obliterated the existence of the waiting lady.

Now, without thinking, he got up and walked towards the stare.

He was entering the film, walking in as an extra.

But he appeared to have lines.

*

‘Can I help you?’

‘You’re British.’

‘Yes, well, English actually.’

‘Oh my.’

She said, lingering in the moment.

‘Manita will help me in a minute. Do not concern yourself. She has a family issue.’

The offer of information seemed unnecessary and excessive to a stranger.

He didn’t wait, but opened the door.

‘Un momento por favor.’

Came from the driver’s side. Not abusive, but firm. Followed by the translation:

‘Please, if you don’t mind, just a minute.’

He’d got the message first time.

‘Manita will come, it’s OK. Thank you.’

He returned the large black block into its hole. As the lady had made no effort to climb into the car, he assumed she wanted to allow the phone call its own privacy.