Something unlikely happened, while I was walking home from the store with some grub.

This ain’t Hollyweird, it’s the valley, so on my way home, I took a shortcut through an alley.  Carrying burritos I passed a woman with a chi-wa-wa in her lap.  She smiled, her two front teeth made a gap.  I couldn’t see her eyes through the sunglasses.  Skeptical, I’m wondering if she stops everyone who passes? 

Her name is Maria and she hasn’t been homeless very long.  Immediately she told me what was going wrong. 

Why was she sitting in the alleyway with a chi-wa-wa?  She rescued the pooch two days ago and she’s a victim of domestic violence.  The police station told her that they could not put her in a hideaway house unless she ditched the dog.  She chose the alley over the house.

She continued to tell me about the mafia cats addicted to PCP who beat her.  Then she spoke about how her lesbian sister kicked her out, to make room for a new girlfriend.  I listened while I was wondering where she’s going to sleep tonight.

I think she’s going to hitch-hike to Arizona.  I headed home.

What would you have done if you were her?