A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth slowed her pace only after she turned the corner of the lane in which her building was. She rested her back on the wall of the nearby small house. She closed her eyes momentarily as her mind couldn't forget the lecherous gaze of the man, who was Florence's guest.

Ruth clutched the bag in her hand to her chest in which there was a red dress. The same dress on which she had spent hours working through the night. She left her room to submit the dress into the tailor shop that was situated on the western side of the town.

When she was descending the stairs, she got an encounter with Florence and her master. Ruth had experienced such incidences before. She had been the target of men's sinful gazes as she was a sweet rose flower that attracted the bees.

A thought about Florence crossed her mind. How could Florence not feel disgusted with such men? How could she spend her time with those men with the adulterous mind? Ruth thought to herself.

"Good morning, Ruth! What are you doing here?"

A feminine voice made Ruth snapped her eyes open.

Ruth craned her neck to see her neighbour with a bag in her hands. The middle-aged woman was kind enough to ask Ruth about her well being whenever they met. She lived in the same building where Ruth and Florence lived.

Ruth pulled herself together and answered politely. "Good Morning! I-I am going to the tailor shop to submit this work." She pointed at the bag in her hand.

The woman looked at the bag in Ruth's hands. "Oh! But you got the clothe at yesterday morning. And you are already done with the dress in this short time?" The woman asked in surprise.

Everyone around knew how hardworking Ruth was. But finishing working on a dress within twenty-four hours was too much for even Ruth.

Ruth nodded. "Yes. Mr Cooper needed this urgent as the lady, who ordered the dress wants it for the celebration that is going to be held in the O'Dell manor."

Ruth recalled how Mr Cooper, the owner of the tailor shop told her again and again that the work should be done on time. He gave Ruth work when he had an overload of the work. Besides that, there were very few people in the town, those could do the intricate designing on the dress with perfection. Well... that was what Ruth believed.

The woman's face split in excitement. "Yes... yes! I have heard that there is no one that could match the O'Dells in grandeur and richness with which they plan these celebrations." She said dreamily.

Attending such celebrations was a dream to the people residing on the Eastern side. Only a few lucky ones, those working in the manor could get to see how the rich classes associates between themselves.

"Yes, I have heard a lot about them. They say the last feast they hosted was many months ago but it is still a topic of conversation between people." Ruth informed.

The woman sighed with a dejected look. "Alas! Only if we were lucky enough to at least get a glimpse of such occasion. People like us don't even get an opportunity to see the faces of O'Dell family members. They are like the characters of a fairytale for us, whom we only heard about but can not see."

Ruth couldn't understand why everyone was so envious about O'Dells and why they were talking so much about this coming celebration. In her opinion, such celebrations were nothing but a mean of O'Dells to exhibit their wealth and power. They only wanted to show their higher social status to the poor and lowest base of the societal structure.

Spending huge amount of money was an idiotic act in Ruth's view. But she couldn't voice out her thoughts against the most powerful and wealthy family of the region. After all, they were no one other but the originators. Anyone who dared to speak against them, not only disrespected the O'Dell family but also to the whole town.

Ruth smiled politely. "I would have loved to talk with you more, but I have to go and submit this dress on time. Or else, Mr Cooper would be displeased with me."

The woman's brows rose as if now only she realised that Ruth had work to do. She laughed a little. "I apologize that I took your time. But can I see the dress, please?" She looked at Ruth expectantly.

Ruth couldn't deny her request and opened the bag to take the dress out of it. The woman looked at the dress mesmerizingly.

"Oh my God, Ruth! This is one beautiful dress you have made! Look at the design! And the fabric is also of good quality." The woman admired the beautiful red dress with an unsaid thought of if she had such a dress for herself.

Ruth was pleased to hear the admiration the lady had shown towards her work. The lady wanted to touch the dress but was afraid to leave stains on it. She was afraid that if anything happened to this dress then how much money she would need to compensate for the damage. Her upcoming generations working hard for all their lives even might not be able to compensate for the damage.

After Ruth put the dress back in the bag, she asked, "Did you go to the market?"

The woman showed the bag in her hand which was full of the vegetables and a loaf of bread. "Yes. My husband got the pay yesterday for a week's work. Before the money finds other ways to perish, I decided to shop for the week's vegetables."

Ruth felt a pang in her chest that she couldn't buy one time meal after working so hard. Her empty stomach grumbled making her embarrassed and pity her situation. If only she also had someone to earn and take care of her needs!

"I should get going, Ruth. My children must be waiting for a meal. See you another time!" The woman smiled while weaving her hand.

Ruth nodded with her own small smile. "Yes. Have a good day!"

Ruth turned around after giving a long look at the retreating figure of her neighbour. She sighed again while rubbing her grumbling stomach. Mr Cooper would give her money in return for the dress that she made and then she also could buy food for herself.

With that thought in mind, Ruth picked up her pace again and took a road that led to the Western part of the town.