A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth watched Mr Payne's cough mild down with a pained face. Mrs Payne's eyes were wide as if she had seen a ghost. They both waited in silence, not due to patience, but they had no words to say. They knew no matter what they say there was nothing that could make him feel better.

"R-Ruth…"

Ruth instantly neared him, taking his hands in hers. "Yes, Mr Payne. It's me. H-How do you feel?" She asked carefully.

Breathing through his mouth, Mr Payne said in a hoarse voice, "G-good morning, dear!" He deliberately avoided her question. He had no heart to tell her the truth that he was not feeling well.

His head pulsated as if someone was hammering it with a large iron hammer. His body was weak and hot because of the fever. The constant itch in the back of his throat resulted in fits of coughing. He couldn't sleep well, nor he could stay awake for more time.

But he didn't want to tell all this to the ladies, who he had seen worrying for his health in these past days.

"Ruth, y-you should talk some sense into your aunt. She ha-hasn't slept all night. She is not t-taking care of herself." He managed to tell in between the coughs.

"Don't worry about me, honey. I am fine! You have to take rest now." Mrs Payne assured her husband.

"Yes, Mr Payne. You should have some rest. I am here to take care of both of you. You don't need to worry about her. Just promise me that you will recover soon and then we three can go for the brunch at 'Baker's delight'."

Ruth had promised to take them to the same place where she went with Rees and Thea for a Sunday breakfast. She loved the food there, and when she told the old couple about that place, Mr Payne informed Ruth that was the place where he first took his wife on a date.

At that time, that place was not very famous, and even the people from the Eastern part could afford lunch there with a week's savings.

He glanced at Ruth's gentle face through his drooping eyes. "You… you remember?"

Pushing down the lump in her throat, she answered. "Of course, I remember! I have promised you and I will keep it!" She squeezed his wrinkly shaking hand in hers as if she was sealing her promise.

A small smile stretched on his face, but that soon got wiped out because of another fit of cough that broke through his throat.

Ruth and Mrs Payne managed to calm Mr Payne, and after giving him his morning dose of the medicines, he was fast asleep.

"Ruth, you should go now. You can't be late for your work." Mrs Payne suggested after making sure that her husband was now resting well.

Ruth glanced again at his sleeping form, her eyes started tearing again. She knew that she had to leave or she would be late for work, but her heart didn't want to leave them both in such a situation.

Sensing her hesitation, Mrs Payne smiled at her. "You know that Mr Cooper can't tolerate lateness. Do not worry about us, dear. He is sleeping now. I will also take some rest. You can come back again in the evening."

Dejectedly, Ruth agreed. "Okay, but we will have dinner together. I will prepare it. You don't strain yourself. Your condition is not sound too."

"As you say my child!"

After that Ruth went to Mr Cooper's tailoring shop just a minute before he arrived. She greeted her colleagues then put her bag on the table of her workstation.

Her eyes darted to her side to meet an empty chair. It had been two days that Thea was not coming for work. The last time she had seen her, Thea looked troubled. Ruth tried to ask her about it but Thea shrugged it off saying it was nothing to worry about.

The next day after Ruth had enquired Thea why she looked troubled, Thea's father stopped by to inform Mr Cooper that Thea was not feeling well and could not come to the shop. He had asked for a leave for a couple of days for her.

Grunting inwardly, Mr Cooper had agreed to grant the leave. He had no choice either way. But the miser man clearly put the condition that Thea would not get the salary for these absences and she had to complete all the pending work when she would come back.

Mr Green was displeased at the old man's behaviour but Thea had already given him the fair idea about this. Mr Green had suggested Thea quit the job but his stubborn daughter was not ready to do it when it was her idea in the first place some weeks ago.

Ruth was yet to arrive at the shop that day when Mr Green came and hence she couldn't get a chance to meet him and ask about Thea. She thought that Thea would be back in a day or two but now that she was absent even on a third day made Ruth worried.

She contemplated going to visit her at her home. But their friendship was still going through a hard time. They didn't talk much, even other ladies in the shop had noticed it.

Ruth had apologised to her time and again and every time Thea said that it was alright. But Ruth knew that it was not from her heart. Thea was still upset about something, with her.

Ruth wanted to know what happened between Thea and Ress after that dinner but she had no courage to inquire about their relationship.

"Ruth... Ruth!"

The loud voice startled Ruth. She snapped her head towards the direction of the voice to find the eldest colleague of her looking at her with a frown.

Ruth blinked twice and took a moment to calm her racing heart. "I-I am sorry. I was thinking about something. What was you saying?"

The woman gave her a long look. "Ruth, you look disturbed these days. Has something happened to you?"

Ruth bit the inside of her cheek. "No, no. There is nothing. I just-I..."

"was thinking about Thea, Right?"

Ruth pursed her lips not knowing if she should deny it or was it that obvious.

The woman's face softened. "I have noticed that you both are not talking with each other the way you used to. I am not going to ask you what happened between you two. But she is sick and is not able to come to work.

I know you are worried about her. If you want then go visit her." She suggested.

Ruth cast down her eyes, unable to meet the woman's eyes. How should she tell her the reason?!

"Erm- yes, I mean, I will see." Ruth mumbled.

After a brief pause, the woman again asked, "Do you remember the time when you first came to this shop asking Mr Cooper if he can give you any work?"

Ruth's eyes perked up at her. Her face had a puzzled expression on it.

"We all, including me, made fun of you because of your state. You were desperate and accepted whatever he had to offer you in return for the work. We thought that you couldn't do it and had no skills or experience.

You even made a mistake with your first order by taking the wrong measurements."

How could Ruth forget that?

She was nervous and the time that was given to her by Mr Cooper was very short. She had no experience working in such a short time but she needed some work to earn money.

She had also heard about Mr Cooper's strict nature and was intimidated by him in her first meet. She didn't want to upset him. But while taking extra measures to not make any mistake, Ruth ended up taking the wrong measurements.

That she realised later. She expected Mr Cooper to roast her alive but that didn't happen. Instead, She started getting occasional work from him when he had an overload of it.

But Ruth didn't understand why her colleague had brought up that incident now?

"You submitted your work with Thea. Mr Cooper was not at the shop that day. Do you know why he didn't say a word about the wrong measurements?"

Now Ruth was curious, her brows were knitted in the middle of her forehead in confusion.

"It was because of Thea!"

Ruth's eyes widened upon hearing that.

'Thea? But how?'

"When Thea checked your work, she realised the wrong measurements. We all had seen how you needed money to survive. Thea also knew if Mr Cooper had found out about your mistake then he would have charged you a big amount as compensation."

That day started moving in front of Ruth's eyes vividly. Her lips were parted in shock, her heart beat loudly.

"Before showing it to Mr Cooper, Thea mend your mistake. She worked on that dress and changed the measurements to the correct ones. She even praised your work in front of Mr Cooper so that he would consider giving you more work."

Ruth was speechless. Thea? It was her!

They were strangers at that time. Ruth didn't even ask her name. Then why did she helped her? And why didn't she mention it ever?

"B-but, why are you telling me this now?" Ruth asked with foggy vision.

Smiling warmly at her, the woman replied, "Because sometimes we need to take more efforts to understand the person. We need to step ahead putting everything aside to save the relations when they are weakened."

The woman didn't say anything more and turned to work on the cloth that was placed on her table as if she had not just opened Ruth's eyes with her wise words.