A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth couldn't figure if Florence was rude or it was her straightforward nature when she asked Ruth to tell what she wanted to talk about. Not answering Florence, Ruth went inside the small kitchen area and brought a glass full of water.

"Here, have it." She offered the glass to Florence. But Ruth's dried throat due to crying caused her to cough a little at the end.

Florence gave the glass of water back to Ruth and said, "I think you need it more than me." She watched hesitance on Ruth's face.

"Please, have it. I am fine. I don't want anything." Florence said with a small smile on her face that was covered in makeup.

Ruth gave another unsure glance to Florence but took the glass and chugged down its full content to drench her parched throat. She kept the glass on the table after emptying it.

Florence noticed the other woman's uncomfortableness. She pointed at the chair and directed her, "Take that chair and have a seat."

Ruth realised that she stood there awkwardly, and her guest had to take the initiative to cut that awkwardness. She pulled out the chair and placed it in front of Florence. She sat on it, her hands in her laps and eyes unsurely roaming around.

Florence waited patiently, giving Ruth time to gather her thoughts. She took those moments to observe the woman's salient features.

Florence noticed how Ruth had tied her long, lustrous, toffee brown hair simply, yet elegantly. A loose strand flowed down from her head onto her oval face. She darted her tongue out to ran on her dried lips. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap as she pondered on how to start the conversation.

After calming her nerves a bit, Ruth opened her mouth to start the conversation. It was not like she was talking with Florence for the first time, but this scenario was different from the previous ones.

"Florence, I... I don't know from where should I start." Ruth admitted sincerely.

Florence was yet to come on the terms with what compelled her to do that for Ruth. She didn't plan on going to that extent when she came to see Ruth. It was on instinct that she made up her mind in a minute to help Ruth.

"Ruth, don't hesitate. Tell me what you want to tell. I am all ears." She encouraged the other woman.

Ruth's eyes perked up at Florence's assuring words. "I don't know how to thank you enough for what you did for me. If you hadn't come and helped me, then I don't know what I would have done?!" Ruth's voice cracked at the end as a lump formed in her throat.

"It was nothing."

Ruth shook her head as tears again started flowing from her hazel eyes. "No. I am serious! If you weren't there, then I might have ended up walking on those dirty streets with whatever little stuff I have. I might have to spend my nights on the roadsides or in a corner of any park. I might have been a pillage of some drunkard and..." The words couldn't get a chance to come out of her mouth as she sobbed loudly.

Florence got uneasy by watching Ruth's state. "No, Ruth. Nothing like that would have happened. If not me then someone might have helped you." Even though Florence said those words, she was not convinced of the idea. But she had to say something to console Ruth.

Ruth's soft features turned dark. "You don't know how cruel this world is. It doesn't care for anyone. People here are only waiting for vulnerable prey. Once they set their eyes on one, they don't hesitate to rip it open. And a shelterless young woman with no support is the easiest target for those vultures."

Florence was surprised to hear how strongly Ruth said those bitter words. Ruth was known as a sweet and kind person so, hearing such hatred from her was not something that Florence expected.

But she understood her every word. The pain in Ruth's voice was proof of what that youthful girl had to go through all her life.

Ruth's words pulled an old and untouched chord of her heart. That opened a long-forgotten drawer of her heart that she preserved over the years. She had met numerous people in her life, some even fancied her, but there was not a single person who had dared to touch that chord with a single sentence.

"Why do you think that I don't know about this cruel world?" Florence asked as her brown hazel eyes directed straight at Ruth.

Ruth didn't realise the words that left her mouth. She couldn't decipher the meaning behind Florence's question. She thought that she might have offended her with her words. She recalled her previous words but couldn't understand what wrong she said.

"Pardon?" Ruth said in confusion.

Florence elaborated her question to make Ruth understand. "You said I don't know how cruel the world is. Why do you think that I don't know about it?"

"I didn't mean it in a wrong way. I just..." Ruth trailed off.

"You just what?" Florence arched her brow in question.

"I just thought that you don't know about it because you are acquainted with many people. You don't need to worry about monthly bills and two times' meal. You live a better life than me." Ruth said slowly, testing the waters as she was not completely aware of Florence's nature.

Florence gave Ruth a long stare that made the latter feel uneasy. Ruth thought that Florence would say something, but she didn't.

Instead, she asked, "Is that what you wanted to talk to me?"

"No, no. I was actually wanted to thank you. I apologise if I got little carried away and if you don't like anything that I said. But, trust me that I am truly grateful to you for saving me from that trouble with my landlord!" Ruth said with sincere emotions in her words.

Florence glanced outside the open window as the time was passing at a fast pace. She needed to get back to her room for tonight's preparations. "It's fine! You don't need to thank me. Just make sure that you will keep on your promise or I will not be able to save you the next month."

Ruth's face morphed into worry at Florence's words. "Yes. But I also wanted to say that I respect and appreciate your help. But it is not befitting for me to take money from someone without doing anything in return." Finally, she came to the main point.

"You can return my money back next month. Or whenever you will afford." Florence said casually.

But Ruth knew that it was not going to happen. "To be honest I don't know how I am going to earn the money for rent. And the addition of your money in it would mean a problem. I will not be able to manage both of it." Ruth said truthfully.

Florence's eyes narrowed as she took Ruth's words in the wrong way. "So what are you getting at?"

She thought that Ruth was asking her to forget about her money. She had already shown enough big heart for her lifetime and now forgetting about her money was not settling with her.

Ruth caught Florence's direction of thoughts. She cleared her doubts by saying, "I am not asking you to forget about your money. Instead, I want you to tell me to do something for you in return of that money."

Ruth's request caught Florence with surprise. She cocked her brow and asked, "You want to do something for me?"

Ruth nodded her head with determination.. Taking favors was not something that Ruth had lived upon.