As we pulled out of the gas station
she asked me why I had yelled.
In an effort
to be occasionally honest with the girl,
I said I wasn’t sure.

“First he put up his hand
then told me to back in at an angle
– which I’ve never heard anyone ask before.
Then he told me to fix it,
and I shouldn’t have yelled at him.”
I looked in the mirror
to the back back seat,
making an instant of eye contact.
“The yelling was wrong.
But I didn’t know what he wanted from me
and I think the accent confused me.”

“Was it Spanish?”
“I don’t think so.
I have no clue what he wanted me to do.
I still think he was an idiot
but I didn’t react the way
a mature responsible person does
and I should have apologized to him.”
“Did you?” she asked.

In an effort to be honest
I told her something like the truth
and reminded her to buckle up
for her own safety
or else.