Ruby never wanted to leave Joseph's house especially when the pale slate-gray clouds whirling upon the sky looked dangerously heavy, waiting for the thin layer of air to split through the center and the rain would start pouring. But not to forget, in the fight against hunger, hunger always wins and that is why she was now inside the grocery store. Clueless as ever.
She had never been to a grocery store all her life for it had always been Emily who was in charge of food shopping for the two of them. Ruby's puzzlement merged on her face and was practically readable by anyone passing by.
Even as, a handsome, blue-eyed, square-jawed salesman came to her rescue and asked her, "Hi, are you looking for something?"
"Oh, no-no. I just want to buy eggs. Where can I find them?"
"Certainly, it's in aisle 6."
"And . . . where is this aisle 6?" she asked through her teeth, making the other feel extremely confused.
"Third row, probably around the shopping carts corral." He gulped down his saliva, batting his eyelashes.
Ruby nodded, turning her face as she chanted the aforesaid information mutely. The salesman amusedly watched Ruby go away in the serried lane of the shelves.
A few minutes later, a mild cool breeze touched her cheeks and neck as she got out of the store and started to walk down the darkening street quickly. A light shower of rain led the birds in the idle boughs to cry in happiness. Ruby smiled as it began to pour down on her heavenly, alongside washing the dusty leaves of the tree and bringing up the good smell of the earth. She had exulted in it, even a little tired of the rain but she didn't mind getting wet.
Big pellets of rain were scarring the concrete surface. Ruby threw her shoes to either side and walked about barefooted. She was very sure on her feet. Surprisingly, her toes had grown accustomed to gripping all kinds of rocks, slippery or sharp.
As it came to her realization that she had been getting drenched for a little while, she picked up her shoes with her free hand and tightened her grip on the plastic bag of the eggs.
She headed over to the house. Upon entering she heard a loud glass-shattering sound somewhere from upstairs.
She dropped everything on the floor and climbed up the stairs to inch closer to the patent source of the sound. She did hesitate to take any further steps because Joseph had barred her to flounder around this floor; her feet went numb like anything despite knowing that Joseph was nowhere close to pulling her by her braid.
She stay put and from there, she expanded her pupils and averted to the closed room in the corner. A small room. She pursed her lips and closed her eyes as she took baby steps toward it and grabbed the doorknob gingerly. Giving her mind a 'go' signal, she barged inside and saw a pale woman in her late seventies, slouching down and picking up the pieces of the big glass shards.
"Who are you?" Ruby said breathlessly with her heart taking irregular leaps.
***
Just as Joseph entered Mrs Warner's bedroom, he saw Mark measuring his steps toward the exit. No emotion other than scorn crossed the younger's pale face.
"Finally the tiring job to look after this stupid woman is over. Now I can better get back to my room and never come out of it until the next morning, Isn't it Mark? Correct me if I said something wrong." Mrs Warner dared to speak Mark's mind, there was a solid likelihood that whatever she had said was the truth.
Ever since the car accident which shockingly took his father and sister's life ─ the two of them were very dear to his heart, Mark felt broken and barricaded himself from interacting with people. What further added to his pitiful state, was Mrs. Warner's least attention given to him in his younger days. Hence, he had emerged as a rare sight to see, speaking in his mother's language.
Mrs Warner couldn't establish her command on him over these years. She had allowed him the freedom to live his life according to his wish and this risky autonomy shaped him into what we now call us- Mark, the ill-tempered boy.
Joseph who stood near her bedpost slightly rose his hand to stop Mark from leaving, but his action was gone in vain. Mark left.
"He seriously needs some counseling. Joseph, please contact some top counselors in Seattle." She dragged herself up and yanked her back against the soft pillow. She mumbled, pushing back her tears, "I can see him like that."
"Leave it to the later time, Mrs Warner. Tell me how did you get hurt?" Joseph asked with concern laced in his words. Taking her bandaged hand in his hand, softly caressing it.
"It's not that serious. Last night, like always I was preparing my tea, Mark was sitting here too, and then suddenly we got into a tiff. Well, tiff would be an understatement." She chuckled. "The teapot slipped from my hands and when I picked up its pieces and . . ."
"Mrs Warner, you could've asked Mary to get it cleaned. It's her job, not yours."
"Joseph, calm down. I just couldn't ask her to help me out. She does a lot of work- supervising the activities of every servant in this mansion is not an easy task." She smiled, keeping one hand on top of his in assurance. "Don't worry. I'm made of steel."
"Not happening. When I can actually see a bandage in the dustbin. At least you should have thrown it properly," Joseph said as he happened to catch a glance of the blood-stained gauge peeking out of steel perforated dustbin's mouth.
"Oops! I should have been more careful." Mrs Warner lifted her shoulders comically as she realized her mistake.
***
"No, wait! You are losing too much blood. I'll go and get a first aid box. Please don't move until I come back-" Ruby navigated from the room directly to Joseph's. She opened his large wardrobe and rummaged through his clothes. Pulling the small drawers roughly. But was unsuccessful in her attempts.
She felt like she was running out of time, instantly dashed to the woman's room, and tore her linen shirt to stop her from bleeding.
The blood was plentiful and deep red.
Ruby perched near her, taking her blood-tainted palm in her clammy hand. She was about to wipe the excess blood off her hand, she found a tiny piece plunged into the white of her skin. Gulping hard, she took it off and earned a scream from the older.
"It's okay, it's okay. We have done it," Ruby clapped to root for the infirmed elder's courage. "You are quite brave!"
She found the lady assessing her face, while she assessed hers. Who is she--Joseph's mother? And why is it that she hasn't come out of her room ever since I started living here? Why is Joseph hiding her? A slew of questions washed over her mind like a tsunami's tide-- wavelength was far longer.
"Y-You look so familiar. These brown eyes, your face, and your red hair, I've seen them some long ago. What is your name?" the pale-looking lady asked; her voice was exceptionally lower and slower.
"M-My name . . ." Ruby stuttered. "It's El--"
"Are you Katherine Warner's daughter, Elizabeth Warner? You are alive! No, there must be an nth number of Elizabeth Warner in the world. You couldn't possibly be the one I'm talking about." She shook her head, as she penetrated the wound.
Ruby was still in shock. How come she also knows about Elizabeth Warner? She thought.
"Are you Joseph's mother?" Ruby asked carefully, enunciating each word with extra delicacy.
"Yes. He's my son," she answered meekly. "But what are you doing here in my room? I don't talk to anybody. I hate people. I've locked myself in this room for twenty years. Don't disturb me. Go away." A tear glided down her eyes and she immediately turned her back on her, so that Ruby would not be able to notice her.
At this sight, Ruby couldn't control herself and crashed her body into hers. Giving her a back hug, she uttered, "But I'm no stranger. You know what? I've never seen my birth giver. And suddenly, I feel like she would've been just like you. So warm. Please don't turn your back on me?"
Joseph's mother turned around and rubbed her tears. "You don't have a mother. Then from now on consider me as one."
After a few hours, Ruby grabbed her hands. She was facing Stephanie Holden and bringing her closer to the staircase. "Just take small steps, and you are there."
"El, This is scary. I can't do this-" she said in a shrilled tone. At the same time, her eyes stared every corner of the lobby.
"I don't want to hear this. You are coming down with me. It's your home. Nobody can stop you from roaming around," Ruby said a wide smile lit on her face.
After a while, Mrs Holden made her way down through the passage and invaded the kitchen. She gaped at everything and her one hand never left Ruby's. "Ahh . . . the kitchen looks beautiful."
"It's all yours," Ruby said and swiftly let go of her hand.
Mrs Holden tiptoed and seized a pink and black patterned storage jar and mumbled, "So adorable."
Ruby leaned against the wall and freed Stephanie to wander in her world. Now she knew where Sarah used to take the food plates- it was for Joseph's mother. Ruby exhaled and trudged forward as she grabbed a pan and opened the fridge to get some lemons.
"No, I'm going to make some utterly delicious lemon-flavored pancakes for you. Please have a seat."
***
A few moments later, Ruby cleaned the table before placing the plates, and Stephanie had gone to the washroom near the staircase. Just then the doorbell rang and Ruby greeted Joseph.
"Oh, I can smell some lemon, is it a lemon tart?"
"Umm no, pancakes."
"Wow. I'll be back."
As Joseph ran to his room, Stephanie came from the other end. Ruby breathed in before forcing a smile at Stephanie. She could sense the ensuing seismic waves of the earthquake. God save her!
Just as Ruby was about to put a piece of the pancake, she heard Joseph shouting and his footsteps falling closer and closer. "Ruby! Did you go through my ward--"
Ruby spun around as she jerked up from the seat. Joseph couldn't take his eyes off his mother; his black eyes retraced their path to Ruby's horrified face.
"Joseph I-I---"
A loud slap stung her cheek and she gasped.
Word count - 1672
a/n; So how was the (around) 65 years old surprise.
Why didn't Joseph share this info with Ruby?
And the unforgettable slap