Carmen Garcia picked Janie up from school, took her charge for a Happy Meal at McDonald’s and headed toward the George Washington Bridge. The signs for the Harlem River Drive were clearly marked, and by one-thirty Janie was safely in the care of her grandparents. By two-thirty, Carmen was back in HoHoKus.
She glanced at the gas gauge and noted that there was still over half a tank. She could leave it as it was and just put the car in the garage and call her daughter to pick her up early and knock off for the day. But Carmen felt she owed Senora Eliza a full day’s work. She would change the linens on the beds and finish the laundry before she went home. She wanted her boss to come home to an orderly house and a car with a full tank of gas.
She turned into the service station. The man who came out to pump the gasoline looked at her skeptically. He doesn’t think someone like me can be driving a new car like this.
“Please, fill it up.”
“What kind?” the man asked gruffly.
Carmen looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
“What kind of gas? Regular or high-test?”
She wasn’t sure quite what to say. No one had ever asked her before when she bought gas for the old car she sometimes borrowed from her daughter. She realized that the gas-station man must have just assumed that she would want the cheaper gasoline. But Carmen caught on quickly.
“High-test.”
Holding her head erect, she sat in the driver’s seat and stared straight in front of her as the gas surged into the new Volvo.
“Twelve dollars.”
Carmen handed the man the credit card Eliza had given her. The man looked at it suspiciously.
“You’re not Eliza Blake.”
“I know this, sir. I work for her and she give me this card to use.”
“How do I know that you are telling me the truth? How do I know you didn’t steal it from her? For that matter, how do I know you didn’t steal this car?”
Carmen was speechless, a stricken look on her face.
“I know Ms. Blake,” said the man. “I think I’ll go right in and call her and check out your story.”
“Please, sir, you cannot reach her now. She is at work.” Carmen was clearly flustered.
“All right, I’ll give you a pass this time,” the man said, sliding the card through the scanner. “But I am going to call Ms. Blake tonight and make sure you’re not ripping her off.”
“She won’t be home tonight. She will be gone all weekend,” said the intimidated woman.
Bingo! thought the man in the tight overalls.