Summary

In “Five-Twenty,” Ella and Royal Natwick sit on their front porch most evenings to watch the traffic on Parramatta Road. They listen to their neighbors’ conversations at the fence or Royal tells Ella about the cars that pass. One night, Royal points out a pink Holden, surprised to see “a man in a pink car” (197). Ella humors him as they are a close couple and Royal is sick. Then Ella realizes she has noticed the Holden driver passes at 5:20 every evening.

Some evenings, the Natwicks witness crashes in the street. Ella remembers the time “the Chev got crushed” and she brought the victim a pillow from her bed (198). Royal scolded her for getting their bedding bloody, but Ella did not care. She is grateful for the traffic as it gives them something to do.

Ella has never understood why Royal fell for her when...