Every time I walk past her she is there. In ragged cloths asking me for a cigarette. I normally ignore her. She is just as much as part of this neighborhood as I am. The lone woman needing help in a neighborhood of helpless people.
I pause.
Hand her a cigarette and ask her what her story is.
Her daughter just got married, but they don't talk anymore. She stood outside the church up the street and listened into the ceremony. She waved as her daughter passed by her.
Meth had run it's course so that her daughter had not recognized her.
She said it was the proudest day of her life.
She finished her smoke and looked at me. I brought out the pack and handed her another along with my lighter.
An hour later I knew the ins and outs of her life. From the ups all the way down to the terrible lows.
I hand her the rest of my half empty pack and tell her to have a good day, I've stashed 20bux in the pack when she was twitching about.

My neighbor Beth is a good person who is in a bad situation.
Best pack of cigarettes well spent ever.