Chapter 29
Keep Your Money, Lady
Be brave, Corndog. It’s just a mall.
I expected Robert to say he would drive me.
Instead, he handed me a map and said it wasn’t far.
I missed stores.
The smell of plastic packaging and new clothes.
I decided I could do this.
From the outside, it looked like a mall.
That was enough.
I got out and moved quickly toward the entrance.
A short, older Panamanian man in a straw hat crossed the parking lot toward me.
“You give me two dollars. I watch your car.”
“After you watch it.”
“No. Before.”
I opened my purse.
“This isn’t how this works, but if I don’t pay you now— because I’m a woman— you’ll damage my car, won’t you?”
“No English. Two dollars.”
I handed him the money.
“I watch it good.”
I walked inside.
The shock was immediate.
Most of the storefronts were closed behind heavy metal gates.
The few that were open looked more like small market stalls than stores.
Security guards stood throughout the building carrying real weapons.
I turned to leave almost immediately.
A shopkeeper tried to stop me.
“Miss, you come in here. You shop here.”
I wanted to cry.
I wanted the safety of my car.
I was indoors for less than a minute.
It felt longer.
I headed straight to the parking lot.
The same small man was across the parking lot.
He was standing inside a rectangle created by four orange safety cones.
He was intensely arguing with two men.
He saw me exit the mall.
He left the makeshift rectangle and quickly headed toward my direction.
He was shouting from several rows away.
I braced myself.
I assumed he wanted more money.
“You take your money!” he yelled.
“What? I already paid you.”
I reached into my purse.
I would pay more just to leave.
“No. You no pay me.”
“I yes paid you!”
“You no pay me!
I no take your money!”
He threw the two dollars onto the ground.
“You get me killed!
You get somebody killed!
You tell people who you are!
I no die!
I no take your money!”
I stared at the money on the pavement.
“Well, I don’t want it.”
“You take it.
I no die.”
I picked it up and got into my car.
Daniel's Den 