I sat in the quiet car, listening to the steady tick of the cooling engine while seven long minutes went by.

A green feed delivery truck pulled into the lane beside me, its engine rumbling heavily against the concrete pillar.

The plastic carrier dropped back into my metal tray with a sharp, heavy thump.

I opened the hinged top and took out my ID cards, along with a crisp, light blue deposit book with only my name across the front.

Inside the front cover, a stamped line of black ink confirmed my opening balance of four hundred eighty dollars in available funds.

“Your new account number is on the first page, Mrs.