[00:36.13] She had the window and I had the aisle
[00:40.02] She looked 25, but she was shaking like a child
[00:43.94]when we took off
[00:49.30] I looked over and clutched in her hand
[00:53.10] There was a cactus in a coffee can
[00:57.53] She was holding that thing like it was all that she had
[01:02.16] She smiled at me, but I could tell she was sad
[01:15.26] Somewhere over Denver, I asked her her name
[01:19.97]She said "Elena," and told me she came from Santa Fe
[01:28.78] She ordered a drink and a wall came down
[01:32.91] She started talking and pain poured out
[01:37.54] She told me a story I'll never forget
[01:41.67] She had me in tears when she looked at me and said
[01:47.24] "My mama's first love was crack
[01:50.72] She made her living lying on her back
[01:55.42] And she gave me away on the day that I was born"
[02:05.65] She said, "The last ten years I spent tracking her down
[02:10.32] It don't seem fair that when I finally found her
[02:14.36]she was almost gone
[02:19.07] We had two weeks together to laugh and to cry
[02:23.56] Two weeks to say hello and goodbye
[02:28.20] She gave me this cactus, said, 'It's kinda like me
[02:32.10] It'll hurt you to hold it, but it blooms every spring'"
[02:37.96]
[02:45.38] She said, "I'm on my way back to New Mexico
[02:49.42] Was gonna scatter these ashes where the desert winds blow
[02:55.05] But I came up with a better plan
[02:58.77] I'm gonna keep 'em in the bottom of this coffee can"
[03:04.36] "My mama was a tortured soul
[03:08.23] I still love her even though
[03:12.70] Oh, she gave me away on the day I was born"
[03:23.10] The plane touched down and we both got off
[03:27.62] I took her hand and said, "I'm sorry for your loss"
[03:32.56] She said, "Thanks for listening, and for being here
[03:36.13] I've been wantin' to talk about for so many years"
[03:41.07] Now I'll probably never see Elena again
[03:45.38] We met as strangers and parted as friends
[03:49.72] As we waved goodbye, I was sure of one thing
[03:53.80] There'll be a flower on that cactus come next spring