Paradise, Peace, and a Pickup Truck

A small gecko silently clung to the ceiling, patiently awaiting its dinner of an unwary insect that might fly too near the dim fluorescent light in the center lounge of an empty home-based hair salon. Just below the hungry gecko sat a hungry salon owner—a middle-aged woman named Pawn. She was trying to enjoy her dinner, utterly oblivious to her long-tailed, four-legged dinner guest overhead. But she didn’t have much appetite for her meal, feeling completely alone and discouraged. Of course, she shouldn’t expect anyone at that late hour, not a friend or customer. In fact, under normal circumstances, she would prefer it to be that way.

But not on this particular day. This day had been far too quiet, especially during business hours. No one had come for a cut, wash, or hair-dyeing treatment all day long. No one had come by for even a short