A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth was relieved that it was a weekend and she had the next day off from the work. She had decided to go visit Thea at her home after her conversation with her colleague. That woman had opened Ruth's eyes, had given her the courage she needed to face Thea again.

Ruth stopped by a fruit seller to buy some apples. She didn't want to go empty-handed to see her friend. Ruth completed the distance between Mr Cooper's shop and Thea's home while thinking about how she should talk with Thea.

'What if she doesn't like my visit? Will she talk with me the way she did before in front of her parents?' Many questions were running in her head but she knew that she couldn't give up on their friendship.

As Ruth reached the front of Thea's house, for a moment, the thought of returning crossed her mind. Her legs felt weak in nervousness. But she was not going to back down after coming all the way there. Thea was always there for her and now it was her turn to show Thea how much their friendship meant to her.

Ruth entered through the front gate then stepped up to knock on the white door. She heard some shuffling sound from the other side then the door was opened by Mrs Green.

"Ruth?! Welcome, my dear. It's a pleasant surprise!" Her face lit up seeing Ruth at her doorstep.

Mrs Green's welcoming hand pulled her into an embrace. Ruth missed that warm touch after the dinner that happened days ago. How her world had turned upside down after that one day!

"Hello, Mrs Green! How are you doing?" Ruth asked after pulling away from her embrace.

Mrs Green took Ruth's hand in hers and pulled her inside the house. "I am doing well dear! Thank you! How are you?"

"I am fine, thank you! Is Mr Green at home?" Ruth asked even though she knew the answer.

"No, dear. He is at work."

Ruth smiled with a nod then gave the bag of apples to her. "I brought some apples. I hope you like them!"

Mrs Green's eyes shone with pride and admiration. She always admired Ruth's attention to such little things. "Oh honey, you didn't need to." She said with a smile.

"It's okay, Mrs Green. Please, take these." Ruth insisted and Mrs Green took the bag from her hands.

Ruth's eyes darted to Thea's bedroom but she was still nervous to ask Mrs Green about her.

"Ruth, why don't you go sit with Thea in her bedroom, while I bring something to eat for you two?! Thea must be awake after an afternoon nap." Mrs Green suggested then disappeared into the kitchen.

Instead, of standing awkwardly in the living room, Ruth decided to follow Mrs Green's advice. With another deep breath, she gently knocked twice on the bedroom door.

"Yes, come in." She heard Thea's muffled voice from behind the door.

As soon as Ruth opened the door, Thea's eyes widened in surprise. She had not expected her visit.

"Ruth?"

Ruth bit the inside of her cheek but then put on a smile on her face. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, yes. Of course, please come in." Thea sat up in the bed and patted the space beside her on it.

"Your father came at the shop to tell Mr Cooper that your health is not good and you needed a couple of days off." Ruth began while seating at the place Thea had pointed.

Thea tucked her hair behind her ear, uneasiness clouded her features. "Yes, I had fever."

"How are you now?"

"I am fine, better than before." Thea replied with a smile.

The awkwardness grew heavy settling down in the air. They both fell silent, buying the time to come up with something to converse about.

Gulping down her saliva, Ruth decided to spark up the conversation. "I am sorry I couldn't come before. I thought you would return in a day or two. But when you didn't after three days, I thought I should come to see you. I was… worried. I hope you don't mind my unannounced visit."

"Oh, no, Ruth. You don't need to say that. I am glad you came! And why would I mind you coming at my home? It is your home too, you know that."

Ruth searched Thea's pale face to see if the words came from her heart or just out of courtesy. But all she found in her eyes was honesty.

She nodded her head with a smile. But now that she took a minute to stare at her friend, she noticed that she looked fine except for her slow body movements as if she had not enough energy to move her body.

Her face looked pale but there was a pink hue on her cheeks and nose. Her eyes looked tired and had bags under them but overall her face glowed differently.

She had never seen Thea's skin radiating that way. How could a sick person look like that?

"What exactly happened? How did you fell sick?"

Before Thea replied, her bedroom door was opened by Mrs Green. She had a tray in her hand.

"Here, girls!" She put the tray on a bedside table. She had brought a plate full of sliced apples that Ruth had brought, two glasses of water and a plate of cookies.

"Thea, see Ruth brought these apples for you. Ruth these cookies are only for you. I have baked them this morning." She offered the plate to Ruth.

"Hmmm… they smell so good, Mrs Green. Let me guess… cinnamon?" Ruth's mouth watered at the aroma.

"Yes, yes! I have also put some extra butter in them. Taste it and tell me how you like it."

Ruth took a bit of a cocky and the moment it settled down her tongue, her taste buds burst with the deliciousness. "Ummm… og my God, Mrs Green. They are absolutely yummy! You have to teach me this recipe one day."

"Anytime, dear! I would love to teach you that."

Thea watched her mother and her best friend talking animatedly with each other. Her mother had always doted on Ruth. Sometimes she even wondered if given a chance her mother might trade her with Ruth in a blink of an eye. But she felt no jealousy.

She knew that her friend was a charming lady with a pure heart and honest opinions. Everyone around her loved her not only for her beauty but for the kind of a person she was.

She watched Ruth's face keenly. She had lost her colour and the brightness in her hazel eyes had dulled. Thea knew that she was unfair with her friend in these past days. Ruth was going through a lot by blaming herself for the misunderstanding that happened between Thea and Rees.

Her fight with Florence and her unpleasant encounters with Edwin had worsened her emotional state. And as a friend, Thea had done nothing to ease her pain, instead, she had isolated herself from her friend.

And that guilt surged in her heart while watching smiling Ruth but the sadness in those hazel eyes was not easy to miss.

A few minutes passed while listening to Ruth and Mrs Green talking about everything and anything. Thea didn't intervene nor contributed to their conversation. She only kept listening to both of them with a smile.

"You girls have your time now. I have to go to the market. Ruth, you have to stay for dinner." Mrs Green pointed.

Ruth glanced at Thea who had expectant look on her face but Ruth had to deny their request this time.

"I would have liked to stay, Mrs Green. But I have to complete an urgent order. But I will stay next time?"

Mrs Green's brows furrowed hearing her reply. "Ruth, it is Sunday tomorrow. Is that old man overburdening you with work?"

Ruth shook her head. "No, Mrs Green. It is not like that. I just thought that rather than wasting a day, I should work more to earn more. That's it!"

Thea looked puzzled at her words. As far as she knew Ruth, she was sure that her friend was hiding something. But she decided to not point it out in front of her mother.

"Oh, dear. Ruth, stop overexerting yourself. You have a decent job now. It is time you should start looking for a suitor than spending your holidays in working."

Ruth smiled uneasily not liking the course of the conversation. "I will think about it, Mrs Green." She said politely.

After a moment of hesitance, Mrs Green's eyes twinkled with excitement and Thea knew that her mother was about to drop a bomb on poor Ruth.

"Ruth, you didn't tell what conversation you had with Mr Edwin Barrycloth that night."

Ruth literally choked on the bit of the cookie that she was about to swallow. She coughed till her eyes watered. Thea instantly passed her some water that she gulped down speedily.

"Well?" Mrs Green was not ready to give up.

"Well what mother?" Thea listened to Ruth's silent plead for help.

But her mother cast a glare through the corner of her eyes. "I want to ask if Ruth liked him or not?"

Ruth again coughed loudly, her eyes wide.

"He… he is a good man, I guess."

"Oh, hush, Thea! I am not asking you. You have Rees to take care. Ruth what do you think about Mr Barrycloth? He seems like fine gentleman. If you are ready then I can talk with Rees and arrange another meeting for you. What do you say?"