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Tuesday - September 14

"Ruth, what's wrong? Are you there, Ruth?" Henry anxiously asks.

"Henry, listen to me. I need to talk to him. I need to hear it from him that Claire and the baby will be all right. The next time you speak to him, tell him to call me. I know he wants to have as little contact with all of us as much as possible, but I need to know that Claire and the baby will be all right. Okay, Henry? Have him call me!" Ruth repeats with great urgency.

"Sure, Ruth, I'll tell him."

"Thanks, Henry. I'll talk to you later. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Ruth lays her cell on the table, covers her mouth with both hands, and pleads to God to keep Claire and the baby safe. After a few moments of prayer, she picks up the object to inspect it further. Not knowing what the object is, she hopes that an answer will soon come. Ruth puts the object in her purse and finishes her tea.

Thinking about what has happened, and what will happen, begins to weigh heavily on Ruth's mind. When she goes into the kitchen to refill her tea, a cold chill comes over her. Turning around, she gazes into her living room, feeling as if an unseen presence is among her. Knowing that she's the only person in her apartment, she picks up her tea, walks over to the living room window, and looks down on the populace once more. The view she has observed for the last twenty-five years will soon be changed. Knowing the change will be a dramatic one in the world, she can only hope that God will forgive them.

Ruth looks at the clock and notices that it is already 3:00 p.m. She still needs to pack a small bag and also needs to stop at the fish market before she makes the cold trek to Claire's.

Finishing her tea, Ruth goes to the bedroom to start packing. Rummaging through her closet and dresser, she picks out only the necessities and nothing more. Nearly done, she hears her phone ringing again. Gracefully, Ruth glides along the floor to answer her phone.

"Hello," she says.

There was no response from the other end; only silence.

She repeats, "Hello."

About ready to hang up, the caller speaks, "You wanted to talk to me?"

Knowing who it is, Ruth sits and calmly says, "Yes. I need to talk to you about Claire and the baby."

Ruth waits for a response, but there is none. She continues, "I need your word, your honorable word that no harm will come to Claire and the baby. Tell me that no harm will come to them, and then I will be at peace with myself."

Waiting for an answer, the caller says, "No harm will come to them. You have my word."

Ruth lets out a deep sigh and begins to say, "Thank you," but the caller abruptly hangs up on her.

Ruth checks caller ID to see if the caller's number appears; it's blocked. Closing her eyes, Ruth mutters to herself, "Thank you, God."

Relieved that she received the phone call, Ruth resumes her packing. The walk to the fish market is close by, but it's another hour to Claire's. Wanting to leave before dark falls, she quickly finishes up. She looks around her apartment to make sure everything is neat and tidy, then grabs her purse, making sure the object is still within; it is. With her overnight bag in hand, Ruth exits her apartment and enters the elevator.

As Ruth enters Atlanta's mass of wanderer's, she continues to think about how important her role is. Everyone involved in the worlds new beginning has so much at stake; mainly, their lives. If anything should go wrong, anything at all, the consequences of many will be devastating. Worried, Ruth hopes she knows what she and others are doing.