James Kline

The Soul Notebooks

The Soul Notebooks (Inspired in part by the folk tale, “The Tinder Box,” by Hans Christian Andersen) I’d been driving my big rig all night and was looking for a place to pull over for a morning nap when I spotted a car smashed up against one of the giant saguaro cactuses that dominates this part of the Arizona desert. As I slowed down to get a better look, I saw an old woman in the driver’s seat struggling with her seat belt and grimacing in pain. I parked next to her and got out to see if I could help. She was clutching her arm and moaning while she continued to fiddle with the seat belt latch.