A Gift For Ruth

Jessie Massey

Published by Jessie Massey at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Jessie Massey


Discover other titles by Jessie Massey at Smashwords.com

45 Days of Discovery- A Christian Devotional for the Entire Family (December 2012)

What Have We Here: Poems and Short Stories (December 2012)

Trees (December 2012)

The First (and last) Hug (December 2012)



Ruth dabbed the sweat on her forehead with the tattered apron as she hurried to set the table. Her stepfather, Eugene walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the cupboard. Ruth turned and pretended to busy herself with something in the sink. That morning she had been late getting breakfast on the table, and Eugene had been in one of his moods. As usual the penalty was harsh and swiftly meted out. Still, it wasn’t the punishment that alarmed her as much as Eugene’s forgiveness.
Ruth was a diminutive child of thirteen. Her brown hair was poorly cropped and a torturous overbite had gone uncorrected for years. Fully clothed she weighed seventy-five pounds. Her green dress exposed a pair of knobby knees that barely supported her frail frame. Tiny brown eyes peered from behind thick glasses and dark shadows contoured hollow cheekbones. Ruth was not a fair sight to look upon, and this did not go unnoticed by other children.
And then there was Eugene. Ruth’s mom had married Eugene Morgan a year after Ruth’s dad died. Ruth and Eugene never developed an attachment. She avoided him as much as possible for the first year. Unfortunately, her mom became ill and was confined to bed. She lingered in a sickly state, drifting in and out of consciousness. Shortly after her death, Ruth became aware of Eugene’s peculiar behavior. 
“Did you learn anything from your mistakes today, girl?” Eugene asked. He glared at her as he poured himself a glass of water.
Ruth did not look up but stopped fumbling with the dishes. Maybe, she thought, he would forgive her if she just answered him. If so, there would be no need to make a trip to the basement for forgiveness. 
“I need to be more responsible when it comes to the duties that I have around the home,” she replied. Her voice was mechanical and without emotion, as if prerecorded for such a conversation. Her back still burned from the morning belt lashings. Eugene had made her lower her dress and the thick leather belt pelted her body like the stinging whelps of a yellow jacket. 
He scooted his chair away from the table and beckoned with a dirty hand for Ruth to come sit on his lap. She hesitated as a familiar fear hovered over her like a dark cloud settling over a mountain. But she knew that further lingering could invite another beating. She dried her hands on her apron and walked toward Eugene. Her head was bowed and she never looked up from the floor. Eugene’s pants were filthy from work and he smelled of dirt, oil and stale tobacco, but Ruth obediently sat on his lap.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she whimpered. Her voice crackled like an old woman smitten with a terminal illness. Ruth closed her eyes and tears began to roll down her face. Eugene put his hand on her back and started rubbing her frail neck. He took his other hand and slowly slid it up her dress.
A violent fear raked her body, and she felt as if she would vomit. Ruth tried to concentrate on another place, somewhere far removed from the hellish kitchen where so many of the forgiveness sessions had started years ago. Miller’s pond or Thompson’s corner confectionary with the perfectly made ice-cream sodas were secret hiding places during forgiveness. Ruth found it increasingly difficult, however, to hide her mind from the ritual. 
Eugene said, “You need forgiveness, girl. I forgive you for your failings. But you need to make it up to me.” Then he stopped and stood to his feet. His face was unshaven, his hands rough, his smell suddenly repulsive.
He said, “You go to the basement and I’ll meet you there in a few minutes. We’ll take care of this quickly.”
A gasp escaped from Ruth’s mouth, as if her soul had suddenly been plucked from a grand mansion in the heavens and sent instead to an uncertain fate among the damned. She slowly stood and walked to the basement door. Ruth turned the knob and flipped the light switch. A dim bulb at the bottom of the stairs lit the room. Ruth took several steps into the mold-infested dungeon and closed the door behind her. Tears rolled down her scarlet cheeks like ice cream spilling down a sagging cone. She sat quietly on the soiled mattress in the corner of the basement. Forgiveness was harsh in the Morgan household.

Ruth sat on the living room floor, her legs pulled close and her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. A knock on the door startled her and she stumbled as she jolted to turn off the television. Watching TV was strictly forbidden unless Eugene granted permission. She crept to the door and pulled aside a dingy white curtain.
A woman stood on the front porch. Ruth didn’t recognize her. They lived three miles from the main road and visitors were uncommon. Ruth was confused and stood staring at the woman for a moment while she tried to decide what to do. 
Eugene was still at the factory and wouldn’t be home for hours. She knew if she let a stranger in the house she would never hear the end of it. But the woman looked harmless, even friendly. Ruth was overcome by a sudden urge to invite her inside. 
She slowly opened the door and as she did a cool autumn breeze rushed through the screen door. It brushed across her face and she reflexively took a deep breath as it gently ruffled her hair. A scent of freshly cut grass or overripe watermelon filled the air. Ruth felt light-headed, as if she had stood up too quickly. 
The woman had a brilliant smile on her pale face and her eyes were as green as a moss-covered rock. She wore a beautiful white dress with a gold-laced scarf draped neatly over her shoulders. Her hair was the color of a pumpkin, and had a rich, silky look that seemed to reflect the sunlight. In her hand she clutched a bright red bag. Ruth thought she was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen.
“Hello,” said the visitor in a voice that sounded more like singing than talking. “Are you the lady of the house?” 
Ruth’s cheeks flushed slightly and she giggled for the first time in a long while. She thought it odd that someone would mistake her for a woman.
“No,” she said. She struggled for words and finding none simply stood looking through the screen at the stranger.
“Well,” she said. “That’s okay. My name is Victoria. Are your parents available?” Ruth could feel the woman’s gaze piercing her like a magical sword. She imagined the stranger could see every thought in her head and if she told a lie she would know.
“They’re not home,” she admitted. She quickly added, “And I’m not allowed visitors without someone being home.” 
The smile on Victoria’s face faded. Ruth thought she looked suddenly sad. 
“Oh,” she said. A second later her smile returned. “I’m not just any old visitor, honey. I make these beautiful gifts. I was wondering if you’d be interested in an early Christmas present.” She held the colorful bag close to the door.
Ruth gaped at the ornate bag. It was wonderful, with gold snowflakes printed on it. Two silver ropes were looped together for a handle. 
Ruth knew that Eugene would never be interested in anything like this. If he were home he would have chased Victoria back up the driveway, barking like a mad dog chasing an unwelcome visitor.
Ruth said, “Do you sell these bags?”
Victoria giggled like a small child and put a hand to her mouth. “Silly me,” she said. She reached into the bag and pulled out a tiny glass globe. “The bag comes with the gift,” she said.
She held the globe up for Ruth to see. It was about the size of a softball but flat on the bottom. Two tiny figures were suspended in a base of water. One was a policeman dressed in an odd uniform. He had a small club in his hand and an enormous mustache on his tiny, hand painted face. His blue uniform went nicely with his black hat. The other figure was an old man that Ruth recognized as a street sweeper. His clothes were painted to look dirty and his face was covered in soot. He held a small broom in his hand. Both figures were smiling brightly, as if they had little to worry about in their encapsulated world. 
Victoria gently rocked the globe back and forth and a fine powder rose into the water. Suddenly, the world inside the globe turned into a swirling winter snow scene. The tiny flakes danced around the figures, fluttering gently to the street. 
Ruth was captivated. Her eyes widened in amazement and her face glowed like a candle. 
“Open the door and take it,” said Victoria. “Shake it yourself and see how nicely it’s made. I put a lot of myself into each of my projects.”
Against her better judgment Ruth pushed open the screen door and reached for the globe. She tilted it and watched the snow swirl around the figures. 
Ruth handed the globe back and stepped aside. “I guess it would be okay if you came in.” 
Victoria lowered the globe back in the bag and started to step into the house. She made it to the threshold when a curious look came over her face. She put a hand on the doorframe to steady herself and Ruth thought she might faint.
“Are you okay?” Ruth asked, reaching for her arm.
“I’ll be fine,” she said weakly. “But I think it best that I stay outside. The air in there seems rather stuffy.”
Ruth looked sad. She thought that she might leave without letting her see the globe again.
To her surprise, she held out the bag and handed it to Ruth. Victoria took a step back and her warm smile reappeared.
“Why don’t you take it,” she said. 
“Oh, I couldn’t,” said Ruth. She carefully put the globe back into the bag. “I don’t have any money and Eugene would be very upset if I did.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “You can take it now at no cost. I’ll come back in a few days and see how you like it. We can discuss the price at that time.” 
“What if something happens to it?” Ruth asked. She found it surprisingly easy to take the bag. “I would get in a lot of trouble.”
“Nothing will happen to it, honey,” she said. “I make them all the time. They’re very sturdy.”
“You’ll come back for it?” Ruth asked.
“In a few days,” she said. “Until then, place it on the window sill in the kitchen. The sunlight shines through it and it looks even more beautiful that way.”
Ruth was at a loss for words. She held the bag tightly and let the door close between them. Victoria beamed brightly as she turned to walk away. She was halfway down the stairs when she turned around.
“Remember, Ruth,” she said. “That’s a very special present. I’ll see you in a few days and you can tell me just how special it is.”
Ruth closed the door behind her and pulled the globe out of the bag. She held it up to the light and looked closely at the little figures inside. She was about to put it back when a sudden thought struck her. How did this stranger know her name?

The porch was a rickety structure that wrapped around the entire front of the old house. It was supported by a set of dilapidated legs that skewed at odd angles causing the porch to sag in the middle. The railing needed repair and in several places was so thoroughly rotten that the handrail had detached. The steps were deteriorating and visitors quickly questioned their reliability. Ruth sat on the bottom step and gazed at the distant cornfields.
She wore an old knitted sweater that her mother had made for her before she passed away. Her shoes had small holes working toward larger ones. Knee-high stockings helped keep her skinny legs warm. She thrust her hands deep into the pockets of the sweater and hummed a tune.
Ruth reflected on the world beyond the endless cornfields and wheat fields of Louistown. Her thoughts drifted to a far off place where rolling ocean waves buffeted the shore, their billowing white foam cleansing the sand from the filth of a hostile environment. Off on the horizon she saw the vague outline of the moon. It lingered in the afternoon sky like a sad old man looking down on a world gone mad. 
Over the last five years, since her mom and dad’s death, her world had turned upside down. Gone were the days of sitting on a knee and bouncing on a magical pony. No more long walks on Sunday afternoons or stopping by the park to feed the ducks. Gone too were the loving embraces of the only people Ruth had ever truly loved. 
On the road Ruth saw a car heading toward the house. Eugene was coming home early and Ruth still had a few chores that she had not finished. She snatched the globe and tucked it into the red bag before dashing inside.
She was busy in the kitchen when Eugene walked in. 
“Earl Lovelace is coming over this evening to help me work on the basement,” he said. He pulled a can of soda from the refrigerator and looked at Ruth. He had an odd smirk on his mouth. “Why don’t you get some food on the table for all of us.” He walked from the kitchen and Ruth heard him go up the stairs. A deep, unsettling feeling started to grow in her heart. She could not remember the last time that they had visitors over to the house.
Ruth was pulling a pan of biscuits from the oven when she heard Earl at the front door. She noticed the globe in the window and found it odd how taken she was with the piece. She had decided that if Eugene didn’t buy it for her she would find some money and get it for herself. She would keep it on the dresser in her room, next to the picture of her mom and dad. Eugene and Earl walked into the kitchen and broke her concentration.
“You want a Coke, Earl?” Eugene asked, reaching into the refrigerator. 
“Sure,” Earl said. “You got anything to cut it with?” He was grinning and Ruth noticed that half of his front teeth were missing. The rest were badly stained.
Earl was a razor thin man and about a foot shorter than Eugene. His hair grew only on the side of his head but he had a long, greasy strand that folded over the top. Ruth noticed that he kept an eye on her as she continued to put the dishes away.
Eugene said, “Oh, I always keep something handy for special occasions.” He reached far back into a cupboard and pulled out a bottle. “This ought to do the trick. He twisted off the cap and poured a good amount into two glasses on the table. 
Eugene walked by Ruth and brushed up against her as he passed. He took a few steps before turning back toward the sink. He reached for the globe and held it in the air, turning it slowly. Ruth thought her heart might stop.
“What’s this?” he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
Ruth couldn’t look at him so she stared at his feet. Eugene reached out and grabbed her by the arm and pulled her close.
“Girl, if you know what’s good for you you’ll answer my question. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Ruth was trembling and stuttered as she spoke. 
“A wo…, a wom., a woman came to the house this morning and brought it.” Warm tears spilled down her face, blurring her eyes.
Eugene snarled as he yanked her closer.
“You let someone in my house without me being home?” he growled. He shouted and spittle landed in her face. “And how did you get this?” He pushed the globe in her face and held it against her cheek.
The tears flowed and Ruth felt her knees weaken.
“She said I could keep it for a while,” Ruth cried. The globe was digging into her face and she winced at the pain.
Eugene pushed her back into the counter. The sharp edge cut into her back and she let out a shriek. She put her hands to her face and wept.
Eugene threw the globe against the wall and it smashed into tiny pieces. Water splattered on the wall and the ceiling. The tiny flakes of snow stuck to the wall in several small globs and slid toward the floor like a slow moving snowball. The two figurines bounced back and landed under the table.
Eugene unbuckled his belt and took a couple of steps toward Ruth.
“You’ve really gone and done it this time,” he said. “I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget.”
Ruth backed away and started pleading with him.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she cried, holding out a hand to stop him. “Please, please, please!” She was hysterical. 
 Eugene was about to grab her when Earl stood up.
“Gene,” he said.
Eugene turned and glared at Earl, but stopped short of grabbing Ruth.
“Gene,” he repeated. “Why don’t we just take the young lady to the basement and teach her a lesson there?” He had a smug grin on his wrinkled face. “I’d gladly help out.”
Eugene lowered the belt and turned to face Ruth. Now he had the same evil grin on his face.
Ruth thought she would faint. A gurgling noise rolled deep from within her throat and she couldn’t catch her breath. Grotesque pictures flooded her head and she suddenly vomited on herself and the floor. She doubled over and put her hands on her knees to steady herself.
“You can clean that up when we’re finished,” Eugene said. He raised the belt over his head and made a motion toward Ruth. “But right now get your tail down in that basement.
Ruth opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. Eugene took a step toward her and she bolted for the basement door. She turned the light on and raced down the stairs, stumbling and falling on the cold concrete floor at the bottom. She jumped on the cot and curled into a fetal position. And for the first time in years she stuck her thumb in her mouth.
Ruth heard Eugene and Earl coming down the stairs and tried desperately to make her mind escape what was about to happen. She looked up and Earl was standing over her with Eugene right behind him.
“Get up off that cot and get undressed,” Eugene commanded. Ruth couldn’t move. Eugene pushed Earl aside and was about to grab her when the light suddenly went off. There were no windows in the basement so the room was as dark as the inside of a sealed casket.
“Stupid light,” Eugene growled. “You best have your clothes off when I get back,” he said. Ruth hated the darkness but at least she couldn’t see them. She succumbed to his threats and started to sit up on the cot when she heard footsteps on the wood stairs. Eugene obviously heard it too.
“Earl,” Eugene said. “Are you on the stairs?”
“I’m right beside you, Gene,” Earl said. “It ain’t me.”
Eugene said, “Whoever that is best say something before I get my baseball bat and let that do the talking.” Ruth heard Eugene take a few steps toward the bottom of the stairs. She thought she heard him fumbling with something when the room suddenly lit up. Eugene was holding a match in his hand. He took a few cautious steps toward the stairs.
Ruth saw the light flicker and begin to fade. That’s when she saw him. Eugene saw him too.
“Son of a…” he said, but was unable to finish his thought. The light went out and Ruth heard a sickening crack, followed by the sound of someone falling to the floor. Several more thuds reverberated in the darkness and she heard Eugene wheezing and gasping. He was trying to breath but couldn’t quite get his lungs to cooperate.
Earl woke from a fog-filled stupor. “Gene, what’s going on over there?”
Gene didn’t offer a response.
Ruth sat terrified and heard Earl starting for the stairs. “Gene,” he said. “Where are you?”
Another light flared and this time it was Earl. He was holding a small lighter in the air trying to find his way around the dark room. He stopped when he saw Eugene lying in a thick pool of dark liquid oozing around his battered head. Ruth saw his awkwardly bent neck, and eyes that were staring blankly at the ceiling. 
Earl said, “Sweet Je…” and those were the last words of his life. A figure appeared out of the darkness and delivered a crushing blow on Earl’s head. 
Several successive thumps came from Earl’s direction and Ruth backed up on the cot as far as she could. Her back was against the wall and she felt the dampness of the brick on her bare skin. But now the room was quiet again.
Ruth could not believe what she saw in the few seconds of light. She was tempted to get off the cot when she heard another noise.
Someone was dragging one if not both of the bodies across the floor. She heard footsteps on the stairs and every now and then a dull thump, thump, thump. Ruth guessed that it was the sound of Eugene and Earl’s heads banging against the stairs.
There was another noise, this time from the floor directly in front of her. Whoever was making the noise was close enough for her to reach out and touch. She decided against that though. She had a vague notion of what she would find.
After a few minutes the noise stopped completely. Ruth recoiled on the cot, not daring to move. She was trying to decide what to do when the light came on.
Ruth looked around the room to see if anyone was still there. She was alone. She glanced to the spot where only a few moments ago she saw Eugene lying on the floor, dying or already dead. Not only was Eugene gone but gone also was any evidence that he had ever been there. The blood that pooled around his shattered head was gone. No stains marked the floor. Earl had also vanished.
Without thinking Ruth buttoned up her dress and bolted from the cot. She raced up the stairs as if an unseen ghost was chasing her. She closed the door and ran to the kitchen. Her heart was pounding like a tribal war drum. She walked to the wall but couldn’t find her globe. She looked around the room and finally saw it sitting on the table. It was unharmed, and in one piece.
Ruth picked up the globe and stared at it. The glass was unbroken and looked as good as new. The snow was piled on the street, just like the first time she saw it. It looked the same way it did the day Victoria first gave her the gift. Except for one small detail; the two figurines were missing.
Ruth was about to panic when she heard a soft knock at the front door. She hesitantly walked through the hallway and turned on the porch light. She pulled back the curtain and saw Victoria standing at the door.
Ruth opened the door and their eyes met. Victoria had a sorrowful look as she reached to open the door. With the back of her hand she wiped the tears on Ruth’s face. Her touch was gentle and Ruth felt warmth that seemed to swathe her body. She leaned out and fell into Victoria’s open arms. 
Ruth sobbed until her throat was raw. Victoria embraced her and when Ruth pulled back she saw that Victoria was also crying.
“What happened?” Ruth asked through her tears. “Where are they? Where is Eugene?”
“Everything is going to be okay now, Ruth,” Victoria said. She put an arm on Ruth’s shoulder and stared deep into her eyes. “No one will ever hurt you again. Do you have my gift?”
Ruth held the tiny globe up to show her, and was shocked to see that the two figurines had returned. Victoria reached for it and put it into another beautiful bag. She took Ruth’s hand and turned to go.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“Where are we going?” Ruth asked.
She squeezed Ruth’s hand tightly. “There are others like you who need this gift,” Victoria said. “And I could use the company.” 
Ruth and Victoria disappeared into the night, the orange glow of the burning house rising steadily behind them.